Legacy
by The Infamous Jack
Summary: Overly ambitious, Orochimaru endowed Sasuke with more power than any man has the right to. Now, eight years after leaving Konoha, Naruto joins a last desperate rebellion against him. KibaHinaNaru, LeeTen, SakuSasuIno, KakaAnko Updated: Chapter Six up
1. The Order

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and, if my master plan fails, I never shall.

Warning: I was reading Douglas Adams while writing this, so it's bound to be odd.

Plea: Please, make this adoxographer happy and leave a review.

Vocab: For those of you who aren't aware, "shinobi" means "ninja", whereas "kunoichi" means "female ninja". "Ninjutsu" means "ninja technique" and refers to the elemental attacks and enhancement techniques used by shinobi. Examples of this would be the rasengan, the Shadow Imitation skill, and Sasuke's fire techniques. "Genjutsu" means "illusionary technique", such as Kurenai's Tree Bind technique. "Taijutsu" means "combat technique", such as those used by Rock Lee.

**Legacy**

Chapter 1- The Order

"_When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid."_

_-Audre Lorde_

It rained. Of course it rained. Nature itself has a sense of the despondency of things, of true tragedy. Uchiha Sasuke kept his speech short and to the point, lest the others think him anything less than coldly efficient. He had a reputation to maintain. Indeed, to perpetuate.

"I have usurped the Godaime," he said blatantly and obviously. There was no real need to say this other than spite, since most of those listening had been there and watched Tsunade die. "I am now the Rokudaime Hokage. Follow my orders, and you shall be protected with my strength. Disobey me, and you will be eliminated as a cancer from a healthy body. You will conduct business as usual starting tomorrow. That is all."

With the same cold indifference with which he had delivered this inaugural speech, Sasuke turned about and walked calmly into Hokage Tower, trailed by his right hand, Hyuuga Neji. Once out of view of the shinobi on the city streets below, Sasuke collapsed into a chair, holding his chest and breathing heavily in the pain. He hadn't taken that damn medicine that day. Neji hurriedly pulled a small vial, one day's dosage, out of his shuriken pouch and poured the foul liquid into Sasuke's mouth. The Uchiha winced, but the pain soon subsided.

Hearing her beloved's groans, Haruno Sakura ran into the room from her chambers and fell to his side. "Sasuke-sama, are you alright? Do you want the injection?"

"NO!" Sasuke shouted in frustration, slapping the woman across the face. Sakura fell back, a little shocked, but said nothing. Sasuke took a few deep breaths, stood, and walked calmly up to his own chambers some four floors up. The stairs didn't present a challenge with the medicine fresh in his veins. Neji just looked down at Sakura, who was beginning to tear up again.

"You shouldn't aggravate the master like that, Sakura-sama," he said, no emotion detectable in his voice.

"I know, Neji-san," Sakura said submissively, still holding her cheek. Sasuke was behaving normally, she told herself. It was her that had stepped out of line. "I'll try harder next time."

* * *

Four Years LaterTucked behind a row of grassy hills and secure beneath a ceiling of clear stars, a bonfire burned, casting five shadows out into the night. It was not particularly dark or cold that night, but the fire was an immense comfort for those around it. Danger was far off, and having a fire was a recognized sign among the five that they were done with battles for the time being. 

A patrolling ANBU spotted the dim blaze from a few miles off and smiled to himself. Shikamaru was correct. They really were there. He approached quietly, knowing they were enemies, and began to rummage around his pack. He had something special for these five.

"_Your eyes will shine, your ears will ring,_

_In the dead of night the birds will sing,_

_For an ugly girl your heart takes wing,_

_When you drink the golden ale!_"

The gravelly baritone of Inuzuka Kiba's voice reverberated around the clearing in which he and his companions had gathered, following the tune his clawed hands beat onto a hollow log as Rock Lee and Tenten danced madly about the fire. All three were clearly drunk, but that was fine. They hadn't seen any Konoha for a week or so, and they weren't expecting any soon. Besides, it took very little to get Lee drunk, and he was a lot of fun so long as he had a song to which he could dance. Hyuuga Hinata sat quietly, enjoying Kiba's song and sipping at some tea. Aburame Shino sat rather further away from the others, not caring for such merriment but pleased that morale was so high.

As Kiba was belting out the third chorus, a rather thick ANBU landed silently on the outskirts of the firelight. In an instant Kiba had stood and drawn a kunai, making the transition from happy-hour to high-alert seamlessly. The others soon saw what it was that had roused his suspicion and assumed similar stances. The ANBU just stood and held up his hands.

"Well, it seems I really can't sneak up on you, Kiba," he said, pulling up his catlike mask. His pleasant, smiling face caught them all off-guard, and in a moment the five shinobi had put away their weapons and rushed over to greet him.

"Chouji-san! You came to see us!" Hinata chirped happily, embracing the bulky shinobi. Lee did the same, making clear to Chouji how very drunk he actually was. Shino just stood nearby, presumably grinning, while Tenten and Kiba were content to simply pat their old friend on the back.

""I didn't just come to see you guys," Chouji confessed, "though, of course, I would have. Actually, Shikamaru sent you a present." His massive hand dwarfed a scroll as he offered it to Hinata, the only sober one within reach. The kunoichi took the gift and unrolled it, her large eyes growing with delight.

"It's the fire-sealing scroll!" she squealed to Shino. "We don't have to buy explosion tags anymore! We can make them on our own!"

Shino approached and looked at the scroll, confirming its contents to himself. "Thank you, Chouji," he said, quietly but sincerely. "This saves us a lot of time and money. It will be much-appreciated, I'm sure. Be sure to thank Shikamaru as soon as you get back."

"Shino!" Tenten said, irritated at his implied request that their old friend depart. He hadn't been so rude as to come out and say it, but the implication was clear enough even for her to see.

"No, Tenten, he's right. I should be getting back before Sasuke-sama begins to suspect something." Chouji took out a bag of chips before closing up his pack.

"Oh, are you sure, Chouji-san?" Hinata whined, pleased to have their first visitor in months.

"Yeah, Hinata, I'm sure. I'll be back, sometime. Later," Chouji called back with a wave, leaving the clearing with remarkable grace for one his size and landing among the trees, the bag of chips not rattling once. Moments later, he was gone.

"You didn't have to get rid of him so bloody fast," Tenten grunted, returning to the campfire and plopping down on a log. "I get bored with just you four losers."

"Well, the feeling's not exactly one-sided, you know!" Lee said with a frightening air of violence. Lee was dangerous when drunk and not preoccupied with something. Hurriedly, and with more common sense than a man who had ingested as much liquor as he had should command, Kiba rushed to his seat and began to drum a new beat out of his log. He felt bad that he had said nothing since ending his last song, but duty called when it would.

"_Where no fantasy denied, where no children ever cried,_

_Where the sandy beach does glisten more than the jewels that lay beneath her,_

_Where fire, war and flood never shed a drop of blood,_

_That's the place I seek to drown my days, or find a wife and live them with her!_"

Lee quickly forgot his rage again and took to dancing. Tenten who, though having been in a rather testy mood, saw fit to join him, hoping the song's words would take a bit more root in Lee's mind than she knew they would.

* * *

The next morning was foggy, both meteorologically and mentally. Hinata had eventually given in to her whims and had some sake, and though its intoxicating effects were mild her head was splitting with the dawn. Tenten and Lee were clearly no better off, dragging their feet behind them as they worked to clear their temporary campsite of evidence of their existence. Kiba fared better, as he always did, with the alcohol than the others, but his own thick will made his productivity on par with that of his comrades. Only Shino was of a clear mind, but as punishment to the others he simply supervised and approved their work as they went on. When the work was done and the others were preparing for another cold rice-ball breakfast, Shino pulled Kiba aside to speak with him. The previous night's events, though fruitful, were not to his liking.

"Kiba," he said very clearly, lest Kiba get lost in the words as he tended to do in the mornings, "I don't like how you and the others drink at night."

"Shino, it's fine," Kiba said, covering his eyes to the dawn. "We just needed to blow off a little monotony. You understand."

"I don't personally, but I know it's true enough. However, Shikamaru is making his contact with us more and more direct, and I'd prefer he thought of us as rather more organized than we really are. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Kiba confirmed, half-lying.

"So, from now on, no drinking unless we're sure Shikamaru won't be contacting us for some time. Are you okay with that?"

"Yes," Kiba confirmed, lying flat-out.

"Good. Thank you, Kiba. Also, let Tenten know that I want you and her to be able to perform the fire-sealing technique within two days. It doesn't look all that difficult, but you'll probably have to study while we move. Anyway, I'm leaving it to you to tell the others about my decisions. I'm going to scout ahead. We move in five minutes." In a blur, Shino had vanished, though Kiba could smell him clearly as he ran out ahead toward the north. Kiba sauntered back to the former campsite which, by then, was beyond all suspicion. Lee tossed him a rice-ball, which he chewed in a particularly melancholy manner.

"I'm sorry, Kiba-kun," Hinata said kindly, seeing Kiba's mood. "I know you'd prefer to have something you can chew on better than rice, but this is all we have for now. Maybe, next time we stop in Sunagakure, we can pick up some of that jerky you like. How does that sound?"

"It's not that," Kiba moaned, his mouth still full, "though I gotta admit, some nice jerky sounds choice right now. Shino says no more drinking unless he says it's okay."

Lee and Tenten groaned, throwing their heads back in a strangely similar fashion. Lee kicked a nearby rock, which then proceeded to sail clean over the forest canopy and off into oblivion.

* * *

Sasuke looked out onto the misty morning, the bitter aftertaste of his medicine still clinging spitefully to the back of his throat. As a reward, the throbbing pain in his left breast was now a dull numbness, the toxins that stewed in his blood lying dormant for the time being.

The Hokage heard Sakura approaching before she said anything. He didn't respond with instant rage simply because she might have some good news for him. He tried his hardest to be kind to her every time she brought him good news. It was all that he had to bet on.

"Um…Sasuke-sama?" she muttered, obviously not happy with herself. Sasuke donned a look of angered disappointment and turned to her. This gaze had an immediate effect on the young woman, who knew as well as he did that she had done poorly in coming here.

"What is it, Sakura?" No comfort escaped his demeanor in his voice.

"I…uh…I finished the next batch of suppressants. You have enough for another month now."

"What progress on a cure?"

Sakura looked away, off to some nearby corner where she could curl up and not say anything else to anger Sasuke. "Well, I did find a serum to disintegrate the toxin, but it also destroyed blood. It would remove the poison, but you'd die if you took it. BUT, I'm working to separate it! Maybe, the two effects came from two different components, and I can get it to just affect the poison!"

"That's it?"

"Uh…yes?"

"…Make sure the suppressants are properly stored for next month." Sasuke turned back to his window, overlooking his city.

"Y-yes, Sasuke-sama."

Sakura didn't leave. Sasuke began to grow annoyed. "That will do, Sakura."

"Oh! Yes, Sasuke-sama."

Sakura backed slowly to the door, holding her hands in front of her and watching Sasuke, lest he provide her some simply word of thanks and she be turned the wrong way to receive it. In her slow evacuation of the Hokage's chambers, the kunoichi ran into Neji, who was walking quite quickly into the room. After many unnecessary apologies she left, dejected as she always was.

"Sasuke-sama," Neji said with a respectful bow. Sasuke turned with a more receiving look, much less irritated by Neji's presence than that of most others.

"What is it, Neji?"

"Sir, one of our scrolls is missing. It is one of the scrolls of fire-sealing, the one used to make explosion tags. It was accounted for at last night's inventory, but is now absent."

Sasuke showed little response to this, but was inwardly quite angered at this outcome. He had hoped the string of scroll thefts had ended. Instead, higher-level scrolls seemed to begin to vanish. "Do you have any leads?"

"Sir, Shikamaru-sama was on duty last night, and Chouji-san was sent on wide patrol."

"…What are you implying, Neji?"

"Sir, if there were a more effective way to steal a scroll, I must admit that I fail to see it."

"Are you questioning Shikamaru's loyalty to me?"

"Of course not, Sasuke-sama, but he is quite vulnerable to outside threat, and Chouji-san is very much under his control." Neji had this backup excuse prepared, knowing that Sasuke would bring up such an issue.

"I see. Well, let us address them."

"Yes, sir."

Neji followed Sasuke down several flights of stairs, to the windowless room where Shikamaru sat, poring over countless documents and drawing battle plans on dozens of identical maps. He sat here every day, serving his master Sasuke in his quest to eliminate the problematic rebellion that had cropped up following his ascent to the role of Hokage. Sasuke knocked politely and walked in. Shikamaru bowed from his seat and set his pen and maps aside.

"Sasuke-sama, this is an unexpected surprise. I'm sorry, I don't have our next plan of attack prepared just yet." Shikamaru was always good at acting. He was even able to convince most others that he wasn't afraid of Neji, which he most certainly was. He kept his gaze firmly on Sasuke to prevent eye contact with the Hyuuga, which would almost certainly give away his guilt.

"Oh, no, Shikamaru, I don't expect you to. Neji here informs me that one of our scrolls of fire-sealing went missing last night. Do you know anything about this crime?"

"No, my Hokage. I actually slept in here last night, and only left this morning to get something to eat. The guards can verify that."

"They already have," Neji said, out of line but justifiably so. "They have also verified that Chouji-san entered this room before making his rounds. Now, most ANBU receive their orders through regular scheduling. Was this not the case with Chouji-san last night?"

Shikamaru laughed. If that was all Neji could come up with, he had no reason to be afraid. "Chouji and I are friends, Sasuke-sama," he explained, not even bothering to address Neji, "so he stopped by to say hello. I've been working hard on this plan, and we haven't seen much of each other lately."

"I see," Sasuke stated calmly. "Sorry to have bothered you, Shikamaru."

"Not at all, Hokage-sama. In fact, this adds an interesting new variable into my calculations. This is useful information, provided that we're assuming the rebels have taken the scroll."

"Indeed. Well, carry on. Come, Neji."

Sasuke left the room, Neji staying only a moment longer to shoot Shikamaru a spiteful glance. The young tactician pulled down his lower eyelid at the Hyuuga as he left, knowing full well that he saw the gesture and would be quite angry that he couldn't do anything about it.

After a nice, long effort of making it seem as though he were working, Shikamaru stood, stretched, and went for a stroll around the tower. He gave a familiar wave to the guards near his office as he walked slowly, lazily, to the greenhouse just outside the ground floor entrance.

"Dammit!" a muffled voice choked out from behind the rosemary grown for the cooks. Shikamaru strolled around the plants to spot Ino, hard at work, bent over a metal table and wearing a white gardener's mask. She didn't see him at first, but a careful wave caught her attention. "Oh, hello Shikamaru."

"Hey, Ino. Watcha doin'?"

The girl gave him a sarcastic glare. He could feel the frown from beneath her mask. "Growing daffodils, you jackass. I'm working on Sasuke-sama's cure, like I always am. Like I always _will_ be, if I don't start doing better than this."

Shikamaru wisely chose not to point out the possibility that Sakura would find Sasuke a cure even if Ino did not. Doing so would be suicide in this enclosed space. "Hmm. Progress not going well? You know, Sakura has access to all of Tsunade-baachan's old medical records. They're probably helping her out a lot."

"Yeah…" Ino said, suddenly very depressed. She knew Sakura had the edge, but simply refused to give up on the off-chance.

"You could probably use those records, now, couldn't you?" Shikamaru looked down at his hand, pretending to examine his fingernails so as to appear uninterested. Like a snapping elastic, Ino clued in.

"You know where she hides them?" the kunoichi asked with enthusiasm she hadn't had in months.

"Not _all_ of them, no, but I _do_ happen to know where she's keeping those that pertain to herbal medicine. She has no use for those and keeps them where you aren't likely to find them."

"That bitch! I'm going to go tell Sasuke-sama that she's holding out information that could help my research!"

"Nuh-uh," Shikamaru retorted thoughtlessly, shaking his head. "She's kept them in a very inconspicuous place. If you call her on it, she'll just deny knowledge of their existence. Sasuke won't be angry with her, but he'll be furious with you for raising a racket."

"Then I'll just take them. Where are they?"

Shikamaru smiled. She was too eager. She didn't question his motives even once. "Eighth floor, Tsunade's old quarters. The floor tile in the far-left corner is loose, and there's an empty space between it and the floor below. I'm pretty sure Tsunade-baachan used to keep booze in there, but right now Sakura's hiding her secret things there to keep them secret. You might find some interesting little tidbits other than the records, if you look properly."

"Shikamaru, you're the best! When I make a cure for Sasuke-sama, I'll be sure to let him know how nice you were to me!"

"Yeah, don't bother. It's too much of a hassle having as much responsibility as I have now."

Ino didn't argue. She didn't ask how Shikamaru got this knowledge. She didn't even ask why he was sharing this valuable information with her. She dropped everything she was doing and ran off into Hokage Tower, giggling like the schoolgirl she hadn't been in years. Once she had gone, Shikamaru took out a small vial from beneath his jacket and poured a miniscule amount of clear liquid into each of Ino's vials, swirling the drops until only a trace residue was left in each.

_Just in case you actually _do_ come up with something, Ino…

* * *

_

From the far northern regions of Fire Country, two completely inconspicuous figures made their way south. The first was the larger of the two, old and thick. The second, quite young, seemed disproportionately small compared to the other but carried with him a sense of fate, of some immense universal agreement that he was somehow significant. It is a rare air to carry, but impossible to really ignore.

"Hey, Ero-sennin, we're not going in the right direction," Uzumaki Naruto barked from behind. He had developed quite a sense of direction these past eight years, and he knew perfectly well how to get to Konoha from anywhere in the world.

"Trust me, Naruto-kun," Jiraiya said suspiciously. Normally Naruto would suspect some trick or bizarre training method, but there was no hint of amusement in the old pervert's voice. Something was going on.

Naruto was dense, dense enough not to hear the rumors of the "new kage" in the south that had usurped that "old lady". He brushed these off as hearsay or, perhaps, not even referencing to Tsunade, but Jiraiya's behavior began to crop up doubts in the boy's mind. Long ago had he abandoned notions about rescuing Sasuke, and the dispersion of Akatsuki had seemed a favorable chance of fate. Now, though, all the pieces of life that had inexplicably fallen into place seemed to have cracks between them.

"Ero-sennin," Naruto pestered, clinging to his own set of nicknames for his comrades even in serious situations. "Tell me what's going on. Why aren't we going back to Konoha?"

Jiraiya stopped. His student had impeccable timing. He pointed down to a clearing, where four figures danced merrily around a fire while a fifth sat off to the side. "I think it'd be best if you asked them, Naruto."

Away around the fire, Kiba sang out a fierce song about liquor, war, or some other such nonsense as pleased him, dancing loosely with Hinata as Tenten and Lee kicked up their own cloud of dust in the firelight. Shino would have left them to their merriment long ago if he did not feel the immense need to ensure that they did not dip into the company's small stash of alcohol. Amid his dancing Kiba suddenly stopped dead and turned to face the nearby forest. The others had come to know the Inuzuka as the most reliable early-warning system they had at their disposal, and the rebels, still quite sober, turned to face the same spot. Kiba did not, however, draw a kunai or assume battle stance. This intruder had no scent of the village about him whatsoever. It didn't take long for the memory of the scent to resurface in Kiba's mind.

"It's him," he said softly, smiling lightly. He had hoped the lost member of the Genius Generation would return someday, but it was a rather distant dream to anyone other than Shino. Quietly, Kiba began a slow, maniacal laugh, which quickly rose and began to frighten the others. Kiba had always bordered on madness, anyhow.

The worry left the four other shinobi as the firelight reflected a bright orange jumpsuit as it made its way through the darkness of the night. Lee let out a little laugh, much like Kiba's, and Tenten smiled ear to ear. Hinata turned away from the others, afraid to let them see tears. She was affected much more profoundly than they by Naruto's return.

Over the past eight years, the powerful influence of reckless determination had lost its luster for the fragile young Hyuuga, but the object of her former affections still had a great deal of value for her. Over time she had not grown hardened as the others. She had still sought comfort. Kiba had become very dear to her as the only of her comrades to express any sort of compassion for her soft nature, but Naruto…to Hinata, Naruto looked like the old days, back when they didn't have to wear silk and leather from the Sand to stay clothed, back when they need not fear the presence of ANBU, back when the Hokage was a nice old man that bought her dumplings when the carnival came to town. Naruto had that same, shimmering quality of innocence about his eyes that had faded from all other eyes but her own over the past eight years.

Naruto didn't notice Hinata as she sought the comfort of anonymity outside the firelight. Even Kiba, who rarely let the girl leave his sight, was too distracted to take note of her silent actions. Naruto looked at Shino intently, knowing through some luck or instinct that he was the leader, and the feeling of intense anger was very clearly conveyed.

"Shino, what happened? Why are you out here?" A more thorough examination of the shinobi raised further questions. "Why is the symbol on your forehead protector slashed out?"

"Uzumaki Naruto-san, where is Jiraiya-sama?"

"ANSWER ME, DAMMIT!"

Shino sighed. He didn't like to talk, and it was a long story. "Kiba, would you tell Naruto-san what has happened since he abandoned his village?"

"_Excuse me?_" Naruto growled, baring his teeth. He hadn't been insulted by a stranger for years now without beating them senseless.

"Calm down, Naruto," Kiba said quietly, sitting on one of the logs lining the firelight. "This is a long story, and you'll understand the negative opinions of your actions by the time it's finished."


	2. The Story

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If you couldn't figure that out, be ashamed of yourself.

Warning: Keep in mind that this is not what Naruto heard from Kiba. It is far more comprehensive and will give you, the reader, far more insight into both sides of the story. What the rebel shinobi were able to tell Naruto should be relatively obvious.

Notice: I know this section may be hard to get through. I made it short for a reason.

Shameful Begging: Please, leave me a review. If you don't, I'll assume you simply hated this and don't wish to see what happens next. Trust me, you want to see what happens next.

Vocab: For those of you who aren't aware, "shinobi" means "ninja", whereas "kunoichi" means "female ninja". "Ninjutsu" means "ninja technique" and refers to the elemental attacks and enhancement techniques used by shinobi. Examples of this would be the rasengan, the Shadow Imitation technique, and Sasuke's fire techniques. "Genjutsu" means "illusionary technique", such as Kurenai's Tree Bind technique. "Taijutsu" means "combat technique", such as those used by Rock Lee.

**Legacy**

Chapter 2- The Story

"_Power, however it has evolved, whatever its origins, will not be given up without a struggle."_

_-Shulamith Firestone_

Orochimaru was a wise man. Mad, but very clearly wise. He knew the Sharingan's unfathomable ability to absorb strength from its surroundings, its ability to learn and expand, and he sought it for himself.

Following the failure of the Konoha Five, as they became collectively known, to retrieve the traitor Sasuke, Orochimaru began his training immediately. He was warned often by Kabuto to limit the boy's growing strength, but the greed of Orochimaru was as a landslide, simply engulfing this advice and changing naught for it. Many techniques, unthinkable to most and thoughtlessly powerful, were conveyed to the young Uchiha heir as he prepared to eliminate the only competitor to that title.

After roughly two years Sasuke felt he was prepared to attack his brother, and did so with Orochimaru's blessing. The battle was a farce. Itachi was smitten with only token effort from his younger sibling, who had mastered the various Sharingan techniques to the point that executing them, even against another Sharingan user, was as simple and effortless as merely willing the action done. Their leader struck down, Akatsuki disbanded, no longer seen as the ultimate power in the shinobi world. Sasuke had taken that title.

Orochimaru was pleased beyond count to hear of Sasuke's victory and prompted the young Uchiha to, now that he had achieved his life's goal, allow him to take his body as payment. Rather, Sasuke betrayed his master Orochimaru, finding no difficulty in slaying him as well. Seeing the Sound as a bothersome remnant of a dead man's dream the entire village was wiped out, but not without vengeance. Kabuto, the medic-nin with the foresight to predict such actions from the mighty Uchiha, had prepared a treacherous poison, one that should have been far beyond his skill to make. Only with the resources of an entire village could this concoction be made, and only a single dose was produced. With his dying efforts Kabuto stabbed Sasuke from behind with the infected needle meant to deliver the toxin, and in doing so saved the shinobi world from total domination.

Nearing death, Sasuke returned to Konoha, begging Tsunade to heal him. She was more than happy to agree, having heard of his work with Itachi and the Sound. At the time, Sasuke was seen as the best thing to happen to the city since the Fourth.

Tsunade's first attempt at curing the complex poison resulted in the creation of a vile yet life-saving suppressant, which Sasuke began treatment with immediately to ward off death. Though he grew stronger, the medicine was horrid and left his entire body sore with movement. Taijutsu, shinobi hand-to-hand combat techniques, became a lost art to Sasuke. Tsunade soon concluded that the most efficient way of removing the poison would be surgically, and its strange chakra immunity meant that actual penetration into Sasuke's bloodstream would be necessary.

The surgery was a failure. Though a portion of the poison was removed, most of it had begun to bind with Sasuke's bloodstream as a resistance to the medicine Tsunade had prescribed in her first attempt at a cure. Only if he gave up the treatment, loosening the poison enough to kill, would she be able to remove it. The chances of success for this operation were less than ten percent.

Outraged, Sasuke mindlessly killed Tsunade, convinced that she had only poisoned him further to make sure he would never reach his full potential. She feared his power, or so he claimed, and sought to destroy him from within. As soon as he found his wits, he admitted that he had killed Tsunade and that others would follow, if they did not follow his rule as the Rokudaime Hokage.

Betrayed and horrified, many citizens rebelled against the Uchiha and his core followers, chiefly consisting of the Hyuuga Branch House. The Hyuuga had been homogenized and placed under the authority of their most powerful member, Hyuuga Neji, very soon after Sasuke seized control of the city. Neji eliminated many of the former members of the Main House and exiled his cousin, Hyuuga Hinata, from the country. He wished her to live, but in shame.

Those that opposed the new Hokage were eliminated quite efficiently. Moito Gai attempted to escape to the Village of Grass for aid, but was struck down by Neji personally before he could get outside of Konoha's outskirts. Gai's enraged young student, Rock Lee, became bitterly hateful of the Hyuuga and successfully fled the city, vowing on his honor and that of his sensei that justice would be leveled. With him went Tenten, his teammate, who knew that he was her only real chance for escape. The two took refuge in the Village of Sand, commonly seen by victims of Sasuke's regime as a safe house.

Haruno Sakura, recognized for her medical abilities and superior mind, was appointed as Sasuke's physician in Tsunade's place and charged with the formulation of a cure for his poison. The deep feelings she had felt for the Uchiha as a child had perpetuated into her adult years, and she blindly accepted the position. Unknown to any but himself, Sasuke kept the girl under the influences of a subtle genjutsu of the Sharingan, forcing her emotional need for his approval to grow even if her opinion of him should wane.

The Aburame clan was uniquely affected by the emergence of this new order. Aburame Shino vanished altogether, seen as an act of clear and brilliant defiance against Sasuke. He is held as the greatest example of rebellion against the militaristic faction holding Konoha and his name was spoken with reverence among those still under Sasuke's influence. Rumors persisted of his active rebellion against Sasuke. His father, Aburame Shibi, was contracted by Sasuke to attempt to use the kikai bugs to remove the poison from his body forcefully. It was only a momentary lack of concentration on Shibi's part that, during the procedure, Sasuke was able to detect in him an intent to kill. The jounin was struck down immediately. Sakura purged Sasuke's body of kikai bugs before resuming her research.

Nara Shikamaru, recognized for his unmatchable intellect even by the haughty Sasuke, was hired as the professional tactician for the village's active pursuit of renegade shinobi and would-be defectors. His natural inertness made him a prime candidate for the job, since it would take incredible motivation to prompt such a lazy man into betraying anybody. Secretly, Shikamaru plots with his best friend, Akimichi Chouji, to perpetuate Sasuke's illness and supply defectors and rebels from within. Being much smarter than Sasuke, he, of course, is quite capable of doing this, usually with Chouji as his proxy in all active work.

The Yamanaka family, attempting to seize the opportunity of Sasuke's newly-established rule, offered their youngest, Yamanaka Ino, as an herbalist to aid Sasuke in his search for a cure. Desperate for clues and progress, Sasuke agreed to take her on, and expanded the greenhouses near Hokage tower to accommodate her research. Ever since, Ino has held an intense rivalry with Haruno Sakura over the best methods of curing their beloved Sasuke. Every step in the process of curing him results in drug-like doses of affectionate attention, and thus the search for a cure is the driving factor in both of their lives. Sasuke wouldn't have it any other way.

After establishing himself as the ruler of the area, Sasuke counted on a certain level of cooperation from specific clans for use of brute force, primarily the Hyuuga and Inuzuka. While the Hyuuga were easily won over by what they saw as wisdom and justice, the Inuzuka were appalled at Sasuke's dishonorable methods and refused to play the part of lackeys. An intense feud between the Hyuuga and Inuzuka raged for months, eventually resulting in the Inuzuka's forced imprisonment in the catacombs beneath the city. Every one of their canine battle partners was executed in a massive public display, including the respected Akamaru. Inuzuka Kiba, the genius of the clan, narrowly escaped with the help of Aburame Shino. Too great was his remorseful hatred for Sasuke for him to escape on his own, and his reluctance to leave his clan nearly cost both of them their lives. The Inuzuka existed since then, their collective depression at the loss of their dogs flooding the catacombs. Deprived of his typical battle strategies, Kiba rehearsed and perfected the older techniques of his clan, training to someday kill Sasuke himself.

The legendary Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi, was seen as the greatest remaining threat in the city as soon as Sasuke assumed command. Not willing to dispose of such a great asset, but at the same time not willing to let him move about as he pleased, Kakashi was sentenced to an informal house arrest within a large mansion very near Hokage Tower. He was kept under the constant surveillance of Mitarashi Anko, who had personally requested the diligent task. Though Anko had, over the years, developed a rather affectionate bond to Kakashi, the man's depression during his imprisonment was too deep to allow such complex feelings to be understood, much less reciprocated.

Perhaps the greatest mystery surrounding the entire ordeal was that of Sarutobi Asuma and Yuuhi Kurenai. Having been away on a mission at the time of Sasuke's return, neither of them resurfaced following its completion. The client reported the mission a success and the pair was due to return before the incident with Tsunade's death, yet no word was sent of them. Rumors had them staying in a remote island of Water Country, but these were only as reliable as any other rumor. Which is to say, not very.

In the shadow of Konoha, a group known as the Resistance formed not long after the escape of Inuzuka Kiba. At its head was Aburame Shino, clearly the most intelligent of the group and among the most powerful shinobi in Fire Country. His right-hand man, Kiba, served as the social center of the group, maintaining morale and resolving any internal disagreements. The later of these two tasks was usually done using threat of force, of which Kiba had very much. His 'eternal rival', Rock Lee, joined the two shortly after their escape from Konoha and keeps his legendary skills honed by competing with the Inuzuka genius in feats of strength and skill. This ended, more often than not, in an unbreakable tie. With Lee came Tenten, now considered the most powerful female ninja in Fire Country, perhaps the world. The incorporation of fighting wires into her weapon-style tactics made her a veritable poltergeist in battle, with countless deadly objects orbiting her in an odd mockery of the cosmos. Hyuuga Hinata was the last to join their ranks, reluctant to leave the safety of the Village of Sand, but her skills as a scout and medic were desperately needed among the Resistance, and she undeniably wished to see Konoha reclaimed.


	3. The Annexation

Disclaimer: You should know by now that I don't own Naruto or its characters. If you ever thought I did, you're not intelligence enough to read this fiction and should hide yourself where society will not be hindered by your presence. Go work for Apple or something.

Debasing Grovel: Please, be kind and review. I'd review for you, if I read something you wrote.

Vocab: For those of you who aren't aware, "shinobi" means "ninja", whereas "kunoichi" means "female ninja". "Ninjutsu" means "ninja technique" and refers to the elemental attacks and enhancement techniques used by shinobi. Examples of this would be the rasengan, the Shadow Imitation technique, and Sasuke's fire techniques. "Genjutsu" means "illusionary technique", such as Kurenai's Tree Bind technique. "Taijutsu" means "combat technique", such as those used by Rock Lee.

**Legacy**

Chapter Three- The Annexation

"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away."

_-Phillip S. Dick_

The fire, as though complaining that the dancing had stopped, roared and crackled loudly to spite the awkward silence that came once Kiba had finished his explanation. Naruto sat, fists clenched, tears streaming down his face, unwilling to face any one of those around him.

"You understand now," Shino finally queried, "why it is you are said to have abandoned Konoha?"

"I left for my own strength," Naruto replied through his dry sobs, showing surprising insight.

"Anything could, and did, happen to the village after you departed. You left the village to its fate and went to seek power from the Sannin."

"Shino, stop," Tenten said, more than sympathetic to Naruto. Besides, they needed him.

"Actually, he might have saved us with that act of selfishness." Kiba grinned in the darkness as the eyes of all present turned to him in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Tenten asked incredulously, now feeling a valid part of the conversation.

"Tenten, have you noticed anything about the genin from the years surrounding our graduation?"

Tenten, Lee, and Naruto all thought about this question in silence, but before they had a chance to come up with anything really profound Kiba interrupted their thoughts.

"Genius!" he declared, throwing open his arms. "Shino and I have talked about it, and we've noticed that the genius of every clan, _every _clan, was born between twenty and twenty-five years ago. The records call it the Genius Generation."

"Genius Generation? Who thought up a stupid name like that?"

"Tsunade-sama."

"Oh…heh…" Tenten shut up, no longer feeling entirely happy with how this conversation was turning on her.

"But anyway, it's become increasingly clear to those who pay attention," Kiba pointed out, referring in his own mind to Shino and Shikamaru, who had first brought this to his attention, "that the representatives of the older generation were comparatively much weaker than their children. I took the title of Inuzuka Chieftain at the age of fifteen. When Sasuke took over, Shino was carrying with him almost double the number of kikai bugs that his father had. Chouji's father wouldn't survive the Red Pepper pill their clan created, but it wasn't even enough to kill Chouji at age twelve! And Naruto…" Kiba's eyes turned slyly to the blonde boy who sat bewildered beside him, "your father made our parents look like insects."

"My…father?" Naruto asked, backing away from Kiba slowly for reasons even he didn't quite understand.

"Jiraiya-sama didn't tell you?" Shino asked, concerned.

"Tell me what?"

"Naruto," Kiba interrupted, not wanting to lose his audience, "your father, the Fourth Hokage, may have been the most powerful shinobi in history."

Naruto's head whirled. He breathed slowly, a trick he had learned from Jiraiya, to keep his heart rate down. Slowly, he regained his composure and turned to Shino.

"He was my father?"

"Yes, Naruto-san" the Aburame answered, worried that Jiraiya had withheld this information from Naruto.

"How do you know?"

"Records. Census. Kakashi-san knew all along and was instructed not to tell you."

"KAKASHI-SENSEI! WHERE IS HE!"

"In the village, Naruto-san, along with everybody else."

Naruto calmed down a bit. He looked around curiously, thinking over this prospect of a generation of geniuses. The shinobi around him- Lee, Tenten, Shino, Kiba- they really were amazingly strong compared to their parents. Kiba, seeing him look around, did likewise, but suddenly realized something.

"Where's Hinata?"

The others, taken from the dramatic moment that had nicely built up, began to look around. Warily, Hinata stepped out from behind a tree and into the firelight. Her white eyes were stained red. She had clearly been crying profusely, but smiled gaily as she took her seat between Kiba and Shino.

"I'm sorry, I…I thought I heard something, and I went to see what it was," she lied quietly, not bothering to look at Naruto. Her hands shook in her lap. Shino, knowing that she'd be bothersome if left in this state all night, lifted his gaze to Kiba.

"Kiba, thank you for explaining the situation to Naruto-san. Please, take Hinata aside for a moment and tend to her."

"Sh-Shino-kun, I'm fine…"

"Kiba, please." Shino's gaze remained firm behind his sunglasses. Kiba, not knowing what else to do, stood with a stupefied look and led Hinata by the shoulders into the woods.

"Oh, that's just great," Tenten moaned, reclining on the grass.

"What?" Lee asked, understanding almost everything until that comment.

"You send those two off into the woods, Hinata-chan a stir of emotions and Kiba all high-and-mighty from his little speech. Geez, Shino, next time just rent them a hotel room." Tenten pulled a twig out of the grass and threw it into the fire, ignoring Lee's disappointed gaze.

"Tenten, you underestimate Kiba," he proclaimed, his eyes closed and finger in the air as if reciting some passage. "He is an honorable man worthy to be my rival. He would not take advantage of Hinata-san's emotional instability."

"Wait, are those two dating?" Naruto asked, looking between Tenten and Lee. The pair looked at each other and blushed, quickly stammering out some half-thought rebuttals.

"Lee-san and I were just talking like friends, Naruto! There's nothing like that going on!" Tenten insisted, waving her hands to show the ridiculousness of his comment.

"Uh…I was…uh…talking about Kiba and Hinata-chan…"

"Oh," Tenten sighed, blushing just a bit more than before. "No, they're not. At least, they've convinced each other that they're not."

"Huh?"

"Kiba has insisted that his feelings toward Hinata-san are like those to his sister," Lee offered, "and Hinata-san is persistent that Kiba is merely a friend."

"Do you believe either of them?" Naruto growled, a knowing look in his eye.

"No," all three remaining shinobi replied in unison.

* * *

Yamanaka Ino stalked through the derelict, unkempt sector of Hokage Tower. In an old, dusty room, reeking of liquor and with an incomprehensible feeling of bad luck, she found a sleepy corner with a loose floor tile. She moved the tile and reached inside, and what she brought out was stunning.

Dozens of expensive, leather-wrapped scrolls, with such labels as "Advanced Theses on Herbal Toxicology" and "The Identification of Natural Variables in the Removal of Poisons." It was extremely exciting, and the daunting task of actually reading these manuscripts seemed a merry chore.

"Tsunade-sama, you're the best! No, not Tsunade, Shikamaru!"

"WHAT THE HELL!"

A shrill, frightened voice called out from the door to the unused room Ino was crouching in. The kunoichi looked up to see Sakura standing in the light from the hall, shocked.

"Oh, hello Sakura," Ino said smoothly.

"Wha…how…the…"

"Oh, these? Just a hunch. I was wandering through this part of the building, and I turned to look around in this room," Ino fabricated. She knew that Sakura didn't buy a word of it, and somehow that made the situation more delicious. "I saw an interesting-looking line in the floor over in the corner, and when I pulled at it I found this little treasure. Isn't that great?"

Sakura looked at what Ino had found. It seemed that all the scrolls were the medical texts she had hidden, nothing of her own personal possessions. If Ino could be deterred from looking any further, Sakura might escape with her life.

"Well, Ino, I'd say you've really hit the jackpot. 'Healing Reagents Formed in Garden Plants,' eh?" Sakura played along, glancing at one of the titles. "I just hope Saskue-sama buys your story."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you just happened to be in this area, and just happened to find the texts that could save his life? A little convenient."

"Well, there could always be alternate explanations, Sakura…"

"Say, Ino, whose job was it to look search this area of Tsunade's library when it was being salvaged?"

Ino froze. _That_ was why Sakura chose this location. She could make Ino look like a traitor without breaking a sweat.

"I…see your point…Sakura…" Ino concurred slowly. "Perhaps I should just take these and go. I'm sure I could get some use out of them."

"I won't tell anybody," Sakura whispered, amused. "It can be our little secret. I'll clean up the corner, you go and stash those someplace more convenient so you can get to them easily."

"Right," Ino agreed simply to get Sakura to stop talking. She gathered the collection of literature in her arms and walked briskly out of the room, her elation properly dulled by this encounter.

* * *

"AAAAAAAAHHH!"

Once they were out of earshot of the others, Hinata's emotions burst once again. She grabbed hold of Kiba's furry coat and buried her face in his chest, weeping aloud. Kiba put his arms around her shoulders, evaluated exactly how long this outburst would last, and, in response, leaned against a tree for support. This would take a while.

"Na…Na…ruto…kun…the…he…AAAH!" she finally managed, though this was all Kiba could discern for a while. Eventually her sobs subsided, and the two figures just stood there silently against the tree. Kiba had made himself quite comfortable, brushing some of the more uncomfortable flakes of bark from behind his shoulders. Hinata had done likewise, cuddling herself into Kiba's large fur coat. The jacket he had sported as a child had gotten far too small, and this one suited him much better.

"I'm sorry….Kiba-kun…" Hinata finally whimpered out, careful not to start crying again.

"It's okay, Hinata."

"It's just that…he…"

"You love him," Kiba offered, bluntly and tactlessly. Hinata gasped, tears welling up in her eyes once again as she looked painfully at Kiba's sad, disappointed face. He looked at the ground, understanding Hinata's actions and rather angry with himself.

"No…I…I DON'T _KNOW_!" A deep breath later and Hinata was back to square one, screaming and holding even tighter to Kiba for she was sure she had offended him somehow. Kiba purposed to knock aside a little branch that had been in his way the first time around, and when he had he was able to comfortably rest his head against a thicker low-lying branch a few inches away. After a few moments he realized how cold he was being and, ashamed of such thoughtless actions, rested his chin atop Hinata's head. The girl's crying subsided to a quiet, sad whine, muffled by a coat of thick fur and two caring arms.

* * *

"_I don't know,"_ a distant voice proclaimed, then was swallowed once again by distance.

"Are you sure he knows what he's doing?" Naruto asked, unsure of how he felt about the perpetual quiet that was Hinata suddenly bursting out in what appeared to be desperation.

"Kiba can handle himself," Shino said thoughtfully, "and he can assuredly handle Hinata. Now, Naruto-san, where is Jiraiya-sama?"

"He was right next to me when I arrived…"

"He's not there now. Kiba and Hinata went that same way, and he would have noticed something."

"Then…where is he?"

Shino raised an eyebrow. With age usually came wisdom. "I was hoping you could tell me."

"Oh, right! Well, I guess he left…"

Shino, having exhausted what little patience he had been graced with at birth, sat on his stump and stared thoughtfully at the fire. Naruto would certainly be a fine addition to their ranks, but he simply couldn't see himself tolerating someone of such low mental facilities for very long. "Do you know where he would go?" Shino queried, feeling adventurous.

"Not really…Oh! He said that we'd go to the Sand and the Grass soon, but he never said when."

"He's probably gone to vie for political support. He's just the kind of person to think of something like that."

* * *

At that very moment, the Kosaka Hot Spring Hotel and Bar welcomed back, after nearly six years, its best customer since its founding. The local massage parlor was phoned to announce his arrival, as was their nearest sake dealer. The dark days were over. The Frog Hermit was back.

* * *

Naruto secretly suspected that Jiraiya had skipped town, but kept such suspicions to himself. He had long ago learned not to doubt the old pervert. "So, what is it you guys actually _do_?"

"Do?" Lee replied. "We don't do a whole lot, I guess. A supply train comes to Konoha every month or so, we raid it and take anything medical, then go back to the woods."

Naruto sat for a moment, vacant.

"Sasuke sends ANBU after us. Or, to be more precise, Shikamaru sends them _to_ us. We fight them off. We have the tactical advantage, obviously, but after such harassment we don't have the energy or strength to do much else," Shino explained, wishing Kiba was there to supplement information for their guest. "This is enough to wear down Konoha's defenses. When the timing is right, we'll make a move on Hokage Tower and kill Sasuke."

"How? If Sasuke's as strong as you say he is then nothing is going to be able to stop him."

"The poison," Tenten said with an empty voice. "The poison makes it painful for him to move. He can't use taijutsu anymore. Even hand seals are difficult for him. He surrounds himself with Hyuuga bodyguards so nobody can tell, but he's actually gotten quite weak."

"Then why don't the others…"

"Genjutsu," Lee said, knowing Naruto's question before he even asked. "His Sharingan gives Sasuke illusionary techniques that nobody could break out of. Even making eye contact is lethal. That's why the Hyuuga are so eager to be on his side. They have a very wide range of vision even without their Byakugan, and it makes fighting without making eye contact nearly impossible."

"So, who…"

"Kiba," both Tenten and Lee said, each not expecting the other to answer.

"Kiba?"

"Yes, Kiba," Lee confirmed after a moment to clarify that Tenten was not going to answer. "He's been training with the older techniques of the Inuzuka. He can fight without seeing his opponent."

Naruto thought for a moment. "That's a pretty fragile loophole."

Lee, taken aback by the undeniable truth of this statement and rather impressed that Naruto came up with it, just nodded and shrugged.

* * *

Ino hummed merrily as she ground the various components of her plant in a mortar. The cure had been right in front of her for so long that she wondered how she could have missed it. It required some of her rarer, more expensive plants, but it was there. There were a few variables, obviously, but none of them seemed dangerous. The texts from Tsunade didn't identify any of the substances involved as particularly harmful.

She dumped the pulpy mixture into one of her flasks, flooded it with fresh water, and added a small pepper. Slowly, the mixture turned a dark reddish color, and when it had Ino siphoned the top few inches out of it into a smaller vial. This she carried to a small cage containing several white mice, none of which seemed the least bit healthy. Only minutes before they had been injected with Kabuto's poison, and they were entering the first stage of the deterioration. They only had an hour or so to live. Or, at least, they would, if not given the cure.

Carefully, Ino pushed a few drops of the herbal concoction into the mouth of every single mouse. She ran to her table and giddily grabbed her clipboard, certain that on it she would record the best news of her life.

In the four seconds she had been missing, each of the mice had entered violent convulsions. They died mere seconds later.

Ino stopped breathing for a moment. She had done everything right. This _had_ to be the cure, or there wasn't one. Why did the mice die from it?

She got a new flask, new plants and new water. She did the same thing again. The same result. She gave the cure to a healthy mouse. Same result.

In a fit of disappointment and rage, she smashed the flask and fell to her knees, sobbing mightily. Shikamaru glanced out of a hallway window down at the greenhouse, hearing her cries. He shook his head, apologized to her in his mind and made his way back to the office.

* * *

A tall, thin figure cuddled its knees in front of a smoldering furnace. She was unbearably cold. This was the only place in the world she wanted to be and by her good fortune she was here, and yet nothing had prepared her for this assignment.

Upstairs, Hatake Kakashi paced about his room, glaring angrily out large, luxurious bay windows at every chance. A fit of hatred took him during one pass, and he threw a nearby candlestick through one of those awful, horrid windows he looked out of every day and night.

Anko heard the noise from the basement and ran through her head the obstacle course of paperwork that would get it fixed by tomorrow. When she was done she cursed and rose to her feet. Calmly, she made her way to her office and began the forms.

* * *

Day broke on Fire Country a few hours later. Six shinobi in the wilderness stirred, having rested for what few hours remained after Kiba and Hinata's return. Shino was the first to get up and immediately felt the need to eat breakfast. He took with him a small rice ball and ran off into the woods, looking for a suitable spot from which to ambush this month's supply train.

The next to awaken was Kiba, who noted the smell of Shino and rice as his leader left for the woods. The Inuzuka stirred slowly, feeling the soft weight of Hinata's arm still clutching to his coat. She had refused to leave him the night before, her internal struggles with abandonment and disownership taking the helm, had curled up on his sleeping mat and pulled his arm around her before drifting into a silent, motionless, deathlike sleep. Fearing that having her wake up with him not there would be rather damaging to this circumstance, Kiba simply lay there, waiting for her to wake up or for Shino to return.

Before Shino could return, however, Lee and Tenten rose simultaneously. They had gotten used to spending the mornings together, working to pack in silent unison. They smiled as they did this- they always smiled in the morning. Something about not having the others around made them giddy, even when the others were simply sleeping ten feet away.

When at last Shino returned, glad for having found a proper spot to ambush that wasn't nearly as obvious as their last spot, Kiba shook Hinata until she, too, awoke, and breakfast was served. Oblivious, Naruto lay sprawled on the ground, mumbling a new variant of his Ramen Song and hoping in his dreams that Ichiraku was still there. When the others had finished their breakfasts and prepared for their attack, Kiba kicked him awake and told him to prepare.

"Where's breakfast?" Naruto mumbled sleepily, sitting up and beginning to roll up his sleeping mat.

"We're out," Kiba replied in a grunt. "We're attacking a supply train into Konoha today, so we should refresh our food supplies then.

Naruto's whines were quickly dulled by Shino's gaze, which would put just about anyone in a more respectful mood. ANBU would be on high alert, and excess talking only put them at risk. That was not something Shino was willing to tolerate.

All six of them left not long after, moving quickly and silently to the spot Shino had chosen. It was ideal- a thick overhang above the road, strong enough to support all of them and dense enough to keep prying ANBU eyes at bay. Here they waited for several painful hours, waiting for the caravan and getting Naruto to keep quiet. He finally just gave up talking as the supply train appeared in the distance, making its somber way up the road. ANBU flanked the first car, but Konoha simply couldn't afford to assign more than eight to the train itself. Four walked in front and, presumably, another four watched the rear. Attacking in the middle would man being surrounded, Shino had concluded, and so a direct assault was their best bet.

"Lee, Kiba, attack on the right. Tenten, you and I will hit the left. Naruto, get behind them and keep reinforcements at bay until we've finished with the first four. Hinata, watch for traps and be ready to heal. Don't leave this spot unless we retreat. Got it?"

"Yes, sir," a timid voice replied, though slowly gaining strength to fit the need.

Kiba gave a quick nod to Shino. He liked it when Hinata didn't have to fight.

The drivers of the caravan pulled back on the reigns of their pack animals, sitting calmly as the rebels attacked again. They knew quite well that they wouldn't be harmed so long as they stayed in their seats and didn't try anything. One of them opened a book, oblivious to the flurry of activity around him.

Shino had the easiest time of things. His attacker made a single lunge with a kunai, which the nimble Aburame was not hard-pressed to dodge. The man stumbled and fell into a bush on the edge of the road, from which a cloud of kikai bugs emerged to devour his strength. Shino merely sat back and watched the other fights, the screams of his victim providing a nice background for a battle.

Tenten began, rather than charging out into the road, by hurling kunai into the fray. Her opponent dodged the majority, but quickly let out a sharp gasp as the projectiles began to return from behind him as well. Slowly, he became aware of the wires attached to the weapons, but simply could not seem to sever any of them. Steel flew in all directions about him, occasionally making contact and opening his flesh to the warm midday air. Before too long he fell to his knees, nearly passed out from blood loss. In the flurry of knives, his fading vision picked out one, seeming to curve about him. He wasn't sure why he looked at that one in particular, but out of sheer chance it was this one that altered its course just enough to drive itself through his forehead.

Lee and Kiba were enjoying themselves thoroughly on the other side. Kiba, having honed his taijutsu speed during years of isolation and persecution, had finally reached Rock Lee's level in hand-to-hand combat. The two were rivals, champions of their chosen fields, and competed in nearly everything. Lee, viewing these competitions as a necessary way to model himself after his deceased sensei Gai, was often the initiator of such challenges, which ranged from the throwing of paper shuriken to feats of strength to near-fatal knife fights. No challenge need be issued, however, when they designed to attack a caravan. Who could dispatch their enemy first was clearly the winner.

"DOWN!" both combatants shouted simultaneously as their opponents hit the dirt. They groaned in dismay, having hoped that this fight would break the tie they had maintained for nearly a month.

"Oi," Naruto called from a bit further back in the convoy, "this driver says that the medical stuff is in the second to last cart, and that the food and supplies are in the last. There's four more ANBU guarding it, apparently, but…" He looked around at the four men the group had faced. "I guess you guys don't have a problem with ANBU, huh?" He let out a little laugh that made Tenten smile and Hinata blush.

"Kiba, Lee, go finish them off," barked Shino, nursing a small wound from one of Tenten's kunai and trying, at the same time, to keep an eye out for hidden reinforcements. The two taijutsu artists ran for the back of the caravan, but Lee stopped just out of sight of the last four ANBU. He turned to Kiba and smiled.

"Kiba, what do you say we have a little fun with these guys?"

A few moments later, the four ANBU guards drew kunai to the sound of a twig snapping in the woods. One of them leapt off into the underbrush to figure out what the sound was, but came charging back out a moment later. He was obviously frightened.

"A bear," he said as calmly as he could. "There's a bear in there."

"So go kill it," said one of the other guards, helpfully.

"But…it had…a nose."

The other three guards looked at the first with growing suspicion. "So?" prompted the same that had first questioned the man.

"It had a _human_ nose. On its face. And human hands, and sandals. But it was a bear!"

The other guards began to laugh, and the captain walked calmly into the forest. As soon as he had disappeared from sight, his lifeless body flew from the foliage and disappeared into the darkness on the other side of the road.

"Captain!" shouted one of the ANBU guards, but the first to go into the woods just stared at the spot that had sent their commanding officer tumbling through the air. He growled a bit. "We gotta kill it," he said, drawing a second kunai in his other hand. His two comrades followed suit and began to walk cautiously toward the woods. As they were passing the first guard, who appeared still to be frozen with fear, they were stabbed viciously in the neck. Mortified, the dying guards looked at their friend, only to see his face disappear in a cloud of purple smoke. The face of a grinning Inuzuka, the symbol on his forehead protector scratched out with a single line, was their last earthly vision.

Rock Lee emerged from the woods and patted Kiba on the shoulder, impressed with how well their plan had worked. He dropped the corpse of the first guard to enter the woods with the others and brushed off his hands.

"WILL YOU TWO STOP HORSING AROUND?" Tenten called from the middle of the caravan, making her way to the back to see what was taking Kiba and Lee so long. The two waved back nervously before ransacking the medical supply cart.

* * *

"How?" Sasuke grumbled, crumpling the report in his fist. "How do they ALWAYS KNOW WHERE MY SUPPLY TRAIN IS! HOW!" In a fit of rage he overturned a large nearby sofa and let out a futile shout of rage. A moment later he fell to his knees, the strain of the effort sending waves of unbearable pain through his feeble body. "SAKURA!"

Mere moments passed as Sasuke waited for his physician to arrive. Seeing her beloved in such a state, the kunoichi ran to his side and fell to her knees. "Sasuke-sama, are you…"

"THE NEEDLE!" he shouted into her face. In a flash, Sakura produced a hypodermic and injected a clear liquid into Sasuke'' upper arm. She hadn't even finished the treatment before Sasuke stopped shuddering and a look of calm took his face. "Thank you, Sakura."

"Sasuke-sama, you shouldn't strain yourself like that. What was the problem?"

Sasuke stood and threw the crumpled report at Sakura. The girl calmly unfolded it and scanned its contents, frowning. "They knew. They always know. How do they always know, Sakura?"

"All the medical supplies," she whispered audibly.

"Five ANBU dead. Three seriously wounded. One of them, a captain, would have made it if we had any penicillin to give him. Techniques and seals only go so far, Sakura, we need supplies to keep this up." Sasuke strolled to a window and looked out over the city. "There's got to be a leak," he finally said.

"A what?"

"Somebody's telling them where our supplies are coming from. The problem with hostile takeovers, like mine, is that everybody has a motive. Everybody is a suspect."

"I'm loyal to you, Sasuke-sama," Sakura offered, rather knowing that it meant nothing to him. Surprisingly, Sasuke turned to Sakura and offered a brief, condescending smile.

"I know, Sakura. Thank you. That will be all."

Sakura kept from giggling as she backed out of the room respectfully.

* * *

"_Oh, we dance free 'neath star and tree with gluttony and lust._

_Our masters died and so we've tried to find ones we can trust._

_But apathy has taken me, so I'll take another drink,_

_Of ale and then we'll dance again and of others never think!_"

A voice familiar to the woods rang out in reverberation. Kiba sat on the side and drummed out a beat for the others to dance by, not feeling particularly merry. He had even required coaxing to sing at all. He wasn't fond of Naruto, a fact that was becoming increasingly clear to him, and he found the rebellion's foreseeable dependence on him to be a cruel irony. He wished Tenten and Lee weren't so close so, maybe, Lee would dance with Hinata instead of Naruto. At least he knew he could trust Lee.

Hinata appeared to be enjoying herself. The easygoing mindset of Naruto seemed to tell her that everything was okay, that the past eight years hadn't happened at all and that she shouldn't stay out too late because she'd be training with Kurenai-sensei early the next morning. None of these things were true, obviously, but she desperately wished them to be, and so being around Naruto gave her a wonderful, comfortable feeling that she simply could not get over. Every now and then, though, as she danced, she would catch a glimpse of Kiba pretending that he wasn't watching her. The feeling she got from him was just as wonderful, but at the same time entirely different. From him came an overwhelming sense that, though the world was a frightening, dangerous place, she was safe from it all because he was there. More importantly, she could tell he, if not loved, then was completely loyal to her and would let nothing of the world's evil harm her.

Shino shuttered. They were a lot of drunken fools doing a lot of drunken nonsense. He could sense some conflict between Kiba and Hinata, but the amount of pointlessness he had noted that evening had already exceeded the amount he was willing to shuffle and sort through and he dismissed it as excess foolishness.

Tenten and Lee, however, simply could not pry their gazes from one another. This was another of those things they just always seemed to do together because it was better that way; the firelight, the song, the beautiful evening just was not quite as idyllic as it would be with the two of them together. Kiba, as if he were one to talk on the subject, mocked Lee often for not announcing his feelings for the girl, who obviously reciprocated them with vigor. He did this less and less of late, ever since Lee would bring up Hinata's growing affection for him. Usually, they would simply accept that they were both fools and drink to their foolishness.

To Naruto, this whole business with rebellion seemed like a very elaborate excuse for these five to hang out in the woods, cause problems and drink. He, of course, was not aware of Konoha's dwindling defenses, Sasuke's growing frailty, and the vital importance of the rebellion to the morale of the shinobi that remained in the village under fear of Sasuke's wrath. He was entirely aware, however, of the fat that Hinata had gotten some inches taller in his absence, and that she seemed to be enjoying his presence. Oblivious he danced to the throaty voice of the very man who wished him a fair distance from that very spot at that very moment.

Kiba had a profound sense of irony.

* * *

Shikamar walked about the tenth floor, the chambers of Sasuke's inner circle, looking very much as though he belonged there. His own quarters were on seventh floor, but very few people bothered to remember that as he walked by, waving a lazy wave that always made the others laugh. He didn't care much about his lethargic reputation at that moment, though. Sakura had gone to the market to retrieve various supplies from the near-empty stockroom of the local chemist to help make up for those lost in the supply train attack. Shikamaru nonchalantly entered her quarters, making damn sure nobody was watching as he did. Exiting would be tricky, but getting in was no problem if he was cautious.

Moving as cautiously as he could around the various objects, clothes and papers, strewn across Sakura's floor, Shikamaru approached a small crack in the far wall, obscured by shadow. From this he produced a small book, tied with pink string. He slid the thread off and opened to the most recent date, having already extracted as much information as he could from the earlier entries.

August 3rd 

Ino, somehow, found my cache of herbal medical journals from Tsunade-sensei. I blackmailed her to make sure she didn't notice anything else in that storage space, but the puzzle of how she found it is one I cannot get off of my mind. I think it may have something to do with Neji, who seems to be watching everything I do despite his friendly attitude toward Ino and I. It's just the sort of thing he'd do, sending Ino in to investigate rather than telling Sasuke-sama. Neji's a good man.

_I can't seem to separate the curing agent from the hemoglobin-disintegrating agent from my recent attempts at a cure, so I've scrapped it. Tsunade-sensei once told me of the healing power of other, natural toxins, so I'll have to ask Ino if she has any nightshade or hemlock I could use. Neji will question this as well, but I have the reports to back it up. It should pose no problem._

I'm getting more and more suspicious of Shikamaru. He's been under a lot of suspicion from Neji lately for the thefts of thirteen scrolls, some of which contained very high-level techniques. I heard from Mai-chan that Neji brought Sasuke-sama to Shikamaru's office a couple of days ago and accused him of sending the scrolls to the rebels through Chouji-san, but Sasuke-sama wasn't convinced. Neji was out of line- Sasuke-sama knew right away that Shikamaru didn't do anything like that. All the same, I'm not going to tell him anything important to Sasuke-sama's cure, just in case he gets any ideas.

"Oh, you think so, Sakura?" Shikamaru chuckled to himself. He replaced the string and the book, pulled a small vial from his jacket and gave the flasks in Sakura's work space the same treatment Ino's had gotten. He made a mental note to thank his supplier for managing to keep this practice feasible.

His work finished, Shikamaru stood and walked to Sakura's door. The moment he placed his hand on the brass handle, a small rattle sounded in the empty stone hallway. Shikamaru heard a quiet "Shh," from the other side of the door, recognizing it instantly as Neji's voice. Horrified, the Nara ran from the door to the window, looking down at the drop of more than thirty meters and knowing he stood a better chance with that than with Neji. He tried to force himself through the slit-like window, listening desperately to the footfalls in the hallway as Neji approached. In one final grasp at life, Shikamaru ran to the center of the room and looked around for anything of aid.

Neji opened the door to the room he knew to be Sakura's, but stopped short when he saw what was going on. Shikamaru was crouched in the middle of the floor, looking intently at a graduated cylinder pilfered from Sakura's worktable. Puzzled, he stammered out a few words.

"Shikamaru…-sama…what?"

"Oh, hello, Neji-san," Shikamaru replied, still staring at the glass tube standing on the floor. He knew he couldn't look Neji in the eyes, lest his guilt in all things be revealed.

"What are you doing?" Neji finally came up with, preparing to fetch Sasuke.

"Studying," he replied. "This room faces west, and all the other rooms are shadowed by the trees or buildings by this time of evening. I'm judging shadow length at this floor at this time of night. It's something I have to know in case we're attacked."

Neji, surprised with the comprehensiveness of this response, glanced out the window at the setting sun and then back at Shikamaru. "Does Sakura-sama know you're doing this?"

"No," Shikamaru confessed, "and I'd rather hoped she wouldn't find out. She normally wouldn't grant me access to her room, even if it were for Sasuke-sama's benefit. If we are invaded, I'll have to fight, too, you know."

"Y…yes, Shikamaru-sama. I won't say anything."

"Thank you, Neji-san. I appreciate that." He stood and smiled, replacing the graduated cylinder whose shadow he had been studying. "Well, that's all for today, anyhow, so I may as well get going. Have a nice day, Neji-san."

"You…too…"

Shikamaru left a stupified Neji in the hallway, brushing politely past the Hyuuga guard he had been talking to. Neji, seeing no crime Shikamaru could commit while in Sakura's room, simply shrugged and went back to his friend. Shikamaru was behaving oddly, and he would take note of it for later.

An hour later Sakura returned to find a small, puzzling note pinned to her door.

_Sakura-sama,_

_Please allow Shikamaru-sama access to your room and facilities if requested for defensive purposes._

_-Neji_


	4. The Proof

Disclaimer: You and I both know that I don't own Naruto. That's just silly.

Review Responses-

Nimacu: Thank you, and don't worry. I have big plans for that triangle. Whether you'll like them or not is really up to you.

Xoni Newcomer: I appreciate your review and the tip, but I had already written all three chapters and couldn't resist the blitz. The rest of them will be one by one.

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Time Shifter: I'll take your request under advisement, but I promise nothing. Take a look at my other fics and you'll see that I am a staunch Kiba fan. Thanks for reviewing; it means a lot to me, and feel free to make any other suggestions you like. Nothing is set in stone, so I'll consider just about anything.

Alex: Always glad to see you, crumpet. All those questions will be answered in the next few chapters. Don't worry, I have plenty of time to clear these things up.

AkaVs.Aoi: Thanks for the review, and yes, it does get better. You can decide for yourself whether it gets better _this very chapter_, but I know for a fact the action will pick up more and more as we go on. I hope nobody minds a little gore. Viva Link and Luigi!

Freeze: I intend to. That's why I'm here.

Keitaro: You flatter me! Yes, Kabuto was a sad loss. I'll give him a brief mention in this chapter, and include his legacy a bit more later on. How's that?

Martial Horror: Thank you very much. I wasn't aware that people actually read that one! AND PLEASE, DON'T GIVE UP ON YOUR FANFICTION! I know I haven't reviewed it, but I just discovered it and it was very good! Keep up the good work yourself, good sir/ma'am!

Legacy

Chapter Four: The Proof

"_Courage is not the absence of despair; it is, rather, the capacity to move ahead _in spite of despair _."_

Rollo May

Tenten shivered with the cold the dewy morning had brought. It was almost dawn and she didn't see herself getting any more sleep, but she was too cold to really move. Lying on her side, the kunoichi could simply open her eyes and see Lee sleeping restlessly beside her. His arms were crossed in front of his chest, as though he were subconsciously trying to keep himself insulated in the frigid weather. Tenten smiled and shivered again, and as she did her thoughts slowly began to drift. _Lee-san would be nice and warm…_

This line of thought was interrupted by Shino, who stood just then to restart the fire. Shikamaru usually thought up some excuse so as to not send ANBU immediately after a raid, giving the freshly-burdened Resistance shinobi ample time to store their bounty. Starting a fire in the morning was therefore not the security risk it would appear to be, and seemed quite necessary that particular morning.

Kiba rose next, not burdened by Hinata clinging to his coat. She had placed her sleeping mat rather far away from him that night, but notably closer to Naruto. Kiba insisted to himself that this was a relief of responsibility rather than a disappointment and went about helping Shino prepare a nice, hot breakfast. The sound of Hinata's chattering teeth, though, dangled in his ears like a loose rope from a construction site, nagging at him. Before too long he gave in and draped his long, warm coat over the poor girl's shoulders. She smiled in her sleep and pulled the fur up to her chin, reveling in its softness and warmth.

Tenten got up not long after that, sitting with her back to the cozy fire and listening to Shino and Kiba talk about expenses, fire-sealing, and new zori sandals. Once their little tripod grill had warmed up nicely, Shino plopped on some bacon and toast from the convoy. The sound and smell of cooking bacon immediately drew both Naruto and Lee from their blissful slumber, sharing in the common desire for a decent meal.

Naruto yawned loudly as he sat up and stretched, waking Hinata. "Ah, that smells great! We should hit a convoy every day, Shino!"

"The convoys are expensive and slow, Naruto-san. Sasuke only brings one in every four weeks." Shino spoke softly as he ate. Well, it was as close to eating as Shino actually got. Kikai bugs swarmed wooden plate, carrying tiny pieces of the food back into the young man's sleeve. Naruto was barely put-off by this, hungry as he was, and the others were used to it.

Kiba dutifully handed Naruto his portion of the meal on one of the thin segments of log the vagabond shinobi used as plates before sitting down to devour his own. Tenten and Lee were rather off to the side, going about their disgusting habit of trying bits and pieces of their own breakfast and then feeding the remainder to the other. It was, as they insisted, perfectly innocent, of course, but Kiba's sensitive ears were too easily picking up their little slurps and giggles.

Hinata, barely awake, ate her breakfast slowly and calmly, trying her best not to stare at Naruto. She could see Kiba farther off, simply adorable as he tried his best not to make it quite so obvious that he was frowning at Naruto. She was just beginning to think how similar the two were when, silently and unexpectedly, Kiba threw a kunai at her head.

Still groggy and entirely off-guard, Hinata had no time to move. The knife slid by her head, narrowly missing her left ear. Hinata didn't have time to be surprised as a loud, metallic snap sounded directly behind her, followed by the sound of the kunai hitting the dirt. She leapt forward in trepidation, whirling around to see what all the others seemed to be staring at.

"You're a disgrace, do you know that?" came a feminine voice from the young ANBU that stood at point. None of the others could see her face, but her tone made it clear that she was smiling.

"M…me?" Hinata asked, shivering. She had tried to avoid knowing ANBU personally for some time now.

"Yes, you, Hyuuga Hinata. The Clan is ashamed of you. You were the proof of their inferiority. Once you were born, lesser clans began to question our supremacy. By the end it had gotten so bad that even the Akimichi got an equal say in decisions facing the Village."

"Uh…excuse me, Hyuuga-cho…" one of the two other ANBU mumbled from behind the girl that had been talking, who was obviously the leader. "We shouldn't be talking with the rebels."

"Matagaru-kun, if I want your advice, I'll just save myself the humiliation and commit suicide. Shut up and watch the others."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Hinata, we were assigned to bring you in, along with the others, that Sasuke-sama might make an example of you. We could have simply taken you in your sleep. However," the captain savored her words here, "I wanted to give you a chance to rest and, then, to fight back."

"Why?" Kiba asked frankly, as though she had just described the most ludicrous course of action he could imagine. The young woman glowered at the Inuzuka, but said nothing.

"Hinata, tell your pet to keep quiet while we're talking."

Kiba snapped. He stood and drew a kunai, only to receive a reaction only from the submissive ANBU that had spoken before. The enemy made a lunge for Kiba with surprising speed, and missed striking Kiba's neck by mere inches. His kunai, instead, delved into Kiba's shoulder, but to his surprise Kiba made no move to retract. He wrapped his arms around the man, effectively pinning him against his chest. Behind his opponent's chest, Kiba began a long and familiar string of seals.

Lee, knowing the sequence by heart despite his inability to use it, stood and shouted. "Kiba, no! If one of them survives and tells Sasuke, our advantage is gone!"

"Then we just won't let them survive," Kiba responded calmly, his eyes already glazing over. His opponent struggled, but could not escape the Inuzuka's crushing bearhug. When Kiba had completed the seals he lifted his opponent, now horrified, into the air and threw him into the nearby underbrush, following him seconds later.

The ANBU captain strained to see what was going on in the forest, what advantage these rogues could hold over Sasuke-sama, but could see nothing as she was. Cursing, she pulled her mask off of her face and began forming seals for the Byakugan. She was interrupted by a gasp, then a quiet voice.

"Ha…Hanabi-neechan?"

Hanabi knew that Hinata probably hadn't noticed, and that informing her that her opponent was in fact her little sister would be delicious, but she hadn't expected her to be quite this frightened. Hanabi put her hands down and smiled. "After Neji-danna exiled you and our clan fell into his hands, we've made more progress than we ever did following father's rule. He determined that it was not the impudence of other clans that held us back, as we once thought, but rather the poor leadership of our father."

Hinata was crying, though softly. "Father was…good…"

"Father was weak. Neji-danna knew the proper path. It was Sasuke-sama's wisdom that led him to grant our genius Neji-danna control." Hanabi smiled and walked closer to her kneeling sister. "He knows as well as I do that I'd never take you alive."

A violent scream was heard from the forest near where Kiba and Matagaru were last seen, followed by several loud cracking sounds. Hinata just hid her face in her hands and cried.

Hanabi, hateful and frustrated, glared at her. "How can you be sad at this? How can you defend father? Was he ever good to you?"

"…no…"

"No, he wasn't. He was foolish. He shunned both of his daughters and held back the one man worthy of leading our clan. Even you, Hinata, can see the error in that."

Hanabi ducked as a large foot, clad in a black zori sandal and the ends of an orange jumpsuit, swung gracefully for her head from behind. Naruto landed crouched, one hand in his equipment pouch and the other bracing itself against his knee. The second ANBU pulled a katana from its sheath on his hip and darted between Hanabi and Naruto, brandishing his weapon threateningly. Hanabi seemed unfazed.

"Uzumaki Naruto, eh? I remember you. You're that idiot dropout that kept Neji-danna from becoming a chuunin on his first attempt. He'll be happy to know that I've disposed of you."

"Shall I dispatch him for you, Hyuuga-cho?" the loyal ANBU asked energetically.

"Yes, Reito-kun. Try to keep it quiet, if you would."

"Of course, Hyuuga-cho."

Without a moment's hesitation and forgoing introduction, Reito leapt at Naruto and tactlessly plunged his katana into his chest. Naruto promptly vanished in a cloud of purple smoke, leaving a large rock where he once was. Angered, Reito forced his blade from the stone and looked around, distracted only slightly by the sound of gurgling from the woods near Kiba and Matagaru. Surprisingly, Naruto walked calmly out of the underbrush several meters away, beckoning Reito to him. With rather unforeseen speed, Reito dashed to the spot and swung for Naruto's head. His katana stopped short, however, caught my Naruto's unarmored hand.

"…How?" he mumbled, looking at Naruto's palm, which should have been severed with the blow.

Naruto pushed the blade away and held his hand open to Reito. A small shield of blue chakra covered his palm. Reito only examined the odd technique for a moment, his attention immediately diverted by a small clicking sound followed immediately by shockwave of energy colliding with his ribcage. He was sent back several feet, landing without form on the grass. He looked angrily at Naruto. Both were frowning.

"What the hell was that?" he asked, displeased with the execution of two rather exotic techniques in a few seconds' time.

"Snapping Finger Explosion," Naruto informed them all, snapping his fingers once again to demonstrate. As soon as he did, a visible ring of sound-like energy emanated from his fingertips.

Feeling outgunned, Reito stood and performed a long series of hand seals. Naruto, quite calmly, watched. At the end of the string of seals, Reito pointed his sword at Naruto and growled. The blade grew almost instantly, firing like an arrow while still attached to its hilt. In an instant, the misfired weapon retracted to its hilt and fired again, grazing Naruto's leg. Naruto, now a bit more startled, dodged as best he could, suffering a few notable slices as Reito's effortless attack threatened to skewer him several times with each passing second. Cautiously, Naruto began making his way closer to Reito, where he determined his advantage to be at its best. He reached deftly into his shuriken pouch and pulled out the first thing he felt. He placed the object on his left hand and made one grand lunge for Reito.

Reito predicted this movement from his opponent, so he quite calmly retracted his sword and prepared to run him through straightaway. Before he could administer the final blow, however, Naruto's left hand appeared mere centimeters in front of his face. On it was an explosion tag, resting neatly on a small blue shield of chakra.

Only Shino saw fit to watch as the expanding blast of fire blew Reito's body to ashes. His weapons were propelled into the ground, his sword fired backward with considerable energy. Hinata, having closed her eyes to the carnage, neither saw nor reacted to the weapon as it sped past her, opening a large portion of her arm to the hot steel.

It took her a moment to take notice of the pain in her arm, and when she finally did she rivaled the sound of the explosion with her scream. Naruto, who had been reveling in his victory, heard her cry and quickly ran to her side. This was utterly futile, of course, since he had no medicinal knowledge whatsoever, but Hinata was calmed from hysterics by the gesture. Kiba, too, came running from the woods, falling to his knees beside Hinata and glaring angrily at Hanabi.

The young ANBU captain quickly determined that the situation had lost its advantage, regardless of her skills. She quickly retreated, without so much as a word to Hinata.

"What did you do?" Kiba growled at Naruto, pulling bandages from Hinata's pack and cutting them to size.

"Nothing! All I did was beat that sword guy, and she…what the hell happened to your clothes?"

Naruto's short attention span had just found its way clear to notice that Kiba was, indeed, a bit less fully-clad than before. His shirt was completely gone, his vast fur coat was nowhere to be seen, and the bottom half of his trousers was frayed beyond repair. His sandals remained, but only by luck. A large, red pawprint tattoo was exposed on his right shoulder.

"I'll explain later," Kiba said hastily, trying to get Hinata's biceps to stop bleeding. "How did this happen to Hinata?"

"Naruto used an explosive tag to get rid of the other ANBU. His sword was thrown at Hinata by the explosion," Lee explained, holding Tenten by the shoulders. She was shivering.

"Wait, was he fighting him alone?"

"I can handle one guy, Kiba," Naruto assured in a typically cocky way.

"NOT WITHOUT HURTING SOMEBODY YOU CAN'T! Dammit, why didn't you guys help him?"

"He hadn't been carrying his weight," Shino explained coldly. "I felt that he needed to finish what he started this time. This is the only combat he's seen thus far. Besides, anybody trying to help with that kind of explosive fighting style is only going to get in the way."

"That's right!" Naruto proclaimed, as though he ought to be proud of the fact. "And what about you? You hauled that guy into the woods on your own, why can't I fight one of them alone?"

"I hauled him into the woods so that nothing…"

"Ki…Kiba-kun…don't argue, please. I'm okay. Thank you." Hinata's voice was weak, weaker than usual. She sat up and felt her arm, a little displeased at the warm wetness of the blood-soaked bandages but reassured that the bleeding had stopped. Kiba was instantly docile at the sound of her voice, and even smiled a bit.

"Kiba," Shino called in his typical, commanding voice. "I'd like a word with you. Lee, Tenten, get this place cleaned up and get ready to move. Naruto, see to Hinata."

The Hyuuga medic blushed harshly at Shino's last command, trying to offer thanks to Kiba as he went to speak with their leader but far too modest to actually say anything.

"Sorry about this, Hinata-chan," Naruto relented daftly.

"It's okay, Naruto-kun," she said softly, staring at her folded hands.

Naruto smiled a chipper, naïve smile. "You're blushing," he pointed out, only worsening the situation.

* * *

"Neji-danna!" an exhausted voice called out from several stories down the spiral staircase. Hurried footsteps brought Hyuuga Hanabi before the Chief of Security, whose stony expression softened for the first time in days. Neji caught Hanabi by the arms, she being clearly exhausted, and helped her up the stairs.

"Hanabi, what's wrong?" he said, concerned. She looked weak, despite her lack of wounds.

"The others were killed, Neji-danna, they were killed. Matagaru was killed by that Inuzuka escapee, the Chieftain. Reito was killed by Uzumaki Naruto. I don't know when he got back or why he's with them instead of back here, but he is."

Neji froze. Uzumaki Naruto was a fearful name. He had heard rumors of Jiraiya training him in the Country of Water, a student that began to surpass the master. Sasuke, even at his best, would be hard-pressed to beat a man like Naruto.

"How did he do it?" Neji asked, taking Hanabi into a nearby, unoccupied room and setting her in a chair.

"He used some foreign techniques, ones I hadn't seen before. He finished him off by setting off an explosion tg on his own hand, shielding himself with some chakra technique. Reito never really stood a chance."

"What about Matagaru? He was a taijutsu specialist, he shouldn't have been vulnerable to the Inuzuka's tactics."

"I didn't see much of that fight. I couldn't activate my Byakugan with the Aburame there. You remember what happened last time you attempted that?"

"Yes. I nearly passed out from the amount of chakra sucked from my temples by those bugs."

"Exactly. The Inuzuka dragged Matagaru into the underbrush, and I only caught fleeting images of the fight. Apparently, he didn't want to reveal some advantage over us or over Sasuke-sama."

"Did you see anything of value?"

"All I know is that he used some variation of a normal henge transformation. Pretty typical of the clan. I didn't see any techniques. I'm sorry, Neji-danna, I really am…"

"That's enough, Hanabi. You've done well," Neji hugged his cousin, planting a soft kiss on her pouting lips. "I'll handle things from here, my love." He let go of her and marched out of the room for Sasuke's chambers, restoring his customary cold shell seamlessly. It was second nature for him now.

* * *

"Kiba, the last thing we need is dissent. I recognize that you and Uzumaki-san have mutual interests and that you're prone to defend that which you consider yours, but for now I'd like you to do your best to get along with him."

Kiba looked at Shino, only half-comprehending what he just said. "What do you mean, 'mutual interests'?"

"Hinata-san," Shino clarified coldly. He knew such insinuations would not be welcome to Kiba, but that was not his primary concern.

"Sh-Shino! What are you talking about?" Kiba blushed, looking around to check for eavesdroppers even though he knew quite well that nobody was there.

Shino sighed. He had hoped to avoid this conversation, but as long as Kiba was busy denying his feelings for Hinata he was completely vulnerable to them. "Kiba, listen to me. We've all watched you bend over backwards to protect Hinata-san. You're only ever in a good mood around her. You don't let me send her into battle for fear that she might be injured. You know as well as I do what protective behavior means to an Inuzuka."

Kiba looked at his feet and cursed softly. He pursed his lips, trying to hold back a growl.

"I'm sorry, Kiba, but for now you just have to accept Uzumaki-san, even if Hinata-san begins to show favor to him."

Kiba said nothing. He just frowned and nodded. From far behind him he could hear Naruto, laughing at something or another, and it seemed the patronizing laugh of a circus clown. He wasn't fit to be there, among the rebels, near Hinata. Kiba had worked hard, as long as he could remember, to keep Hinata safe. Now, with the biggest threat sitting and joking with her right in plain sight, he could do nothing to protect her.

For the first time in his life, Kiba was without purpose.

* * *

Sasuke strolled calmly into Shikamaru's office and, before either of the two men could speak, took a seat. He looked at Shikamaru very intently, narrowing his eyes.

"Uzumaki Naruto has returned, Shikamaru. Scrap everything you're working on and start from scratch. Our newest primary objective is to capture him and bring him here."

"Naruto? Capture? Here?" Shikamaru echoed, visibly shocked. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Is that a problem, Shikamaru?"

"NO! I mean, uh, no sir, Sasuke-sama. It won't be a problem at all. Who brought in this information?"

"Hyuuga Hanabi. I sent her to go kill the group informally, but she was driven back. That's what I get for letting an ANBU go out without having you instruct them."

"You honor me, Sasuke-sama."

"Anyhow, Reito and Matagaru were killed. Hanabi retreated. They were forty-one miles west by southwest, and they were moving north before going to sleep."

"They drove her back when she caught them sleeping? That doesn't seem likely, Hokage-sama." Shikamaru uttered this quietly and tactfully, scribbling something on a blank map. Sasuke thought this through, and leaned back.

"Hanabi may be the best ANBU we have. You doubt her capability? You doubt her loyalty?"

"Of course not, Sasuke-sama. I doubt her objectivity."

Sasuke raised his other eyebrow. "Explain."

"Well, I have to wonder if Hanabi is capable of attacking the rebels. When did she arrive back here?"

"Nine thirty this morning. Why?"

"You see? She must have waited to confront them until after they woke up, trying to give her sister a little help. I recommend that I be allowed to change her assigned routes to avoid the rebels, since it may be costly for both her and our administration if they were to encounter her."

Sasuke nodded along, standing when his tactician had finished. "You're a good man, Shikamaru. Go ahead and alter her assigned patrols. I'll break the news to her myself. You stay here and work out a method of capturing Naruto."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama."

Sasuke left, deep in silent thought, barely noticing the hefty figure bowing deeply as he exited the office. Once he was out of sight, Chouji walked merrily into Shikamaru's room and took the same seat Sasuke had been in only seconds before. It groaned a bit as he sat.

"Hey, Shikamaru," he said informally.

"Hey, Chouji. We may have an easier time of things from here on," the Nara commented, leaning a bit to make sure there weren't any Hyuuga guards snooping around.

"Why's that?"

"Naruto's back," Shikamru whispered, "and he's already fighting along with Shino."

"Does Kigeki know yet?" Chouji whispered in kind, but much more excited and curious than his counterpart.

"No, it's just come from Hanabi. I doubt anybody knows but her, Neji, Sasuke, you and I. I'm going to see Kigeki tonight for a new batch of poisons to help slow down Ino and Sakura. I'm sure he'll be interested."

* * *

Shino thought very deeply about what to do. Shikamaru would never have sent Hanabi, or anyone else for that matter, after them immediately following a raid. Even if he had, he would make sure that their approach was obvious. This was clearly not Shikamaru's doing, which made Shino question whether or not his friend was in command any longer. The resistance would have to take up true covert tactics from then on.

Six silent figures could be seen from nearby, trudging along the shallow ravine carved by a long-dry river. Shino led, as he always did, with Kiba reluctantly accepting his assignment to walk between Lee and Tenten. The two knew of his conversation with Shino and, helpfully, were willing to help him learn to separate himself from Hinata. Tenten kept her concentration as she walked behind him, bordering on tears at seeing the eternally optimistic shinobi so pathetically and helplessly depressed that he could scarcely lift his foot to continue his mournful march. Kiba, no longer denying his feelings to himself, simply could not be coaxed to speak.

Naruto walked behind Tenten, with Hinata very near behind him. He thought long about Sasuke, about Sakura, and about the Fourth Hokage. So lost in thought was he that the rather obvious root sticking out at eye level did not catch his attention. He said nothing as he ran into it, but Hinata let out a quiet gasp as he began to fall backward onto her. She slammed her eyes shut and braced for the impact, but looked up quickly when it didn't happen. Naruto, though leaning back dangerously above her, was supported by the firm grip of Kiba's large hand around his neck. She quickly stepped aside to remove the possible hazard.

For a brief moment before Kiba let go, he felt his fingers tighten. Naruto's face became a shade or two redder. He stifled his breathing as best he could, but he hadn't felt that satisfied in a long time. The back of his mind played out the extreme of this unbridled instinct, letting Naruto's body fall into the dusty sand after only a moment or two of violent struggle. He could do it, too; no exotic techniques would save him from something so simple. He could kill him right there.

Kiba brought Naruto upright, dusted him off, and returned to his place in front of Tenten. Every step he took dragged a thick line in the ground. His arms hung loosely at his sides. Tenten and Lee both kept their distance. Kiba was bottling again, and it wouldn't take much to make him blow.

* * *

Hanabi had gone back to her quarters to sulk. Sasuke had been extremely blunt in breaking the news of her reassignment to her, and Neji's professional attitude, saved for Sasuke's presence, was no help. Sasuke stood, as he often did, facing the large balcony that looked out over his city. Neji, after ensuring that Hanabi would survive without his presence, joined him.

"You seem upset today, Sasuke-sama," he observed as politely as possible. Sasuke had very few people to confide in, her knew, and prompting the conversation was helpful.

"I've been thinking much the past month or so. There is growing talk of what to do with the derelict Uchiha district. None are willing to populate it." Sasuke's eyes drifted the left side of the city, where no lights gleamed in the night.

"I see. You're reluctant to remove it."

"Oh, that's not it. I was just thinking, why is nobody willing to populate it?"

"The Uchiha were a mighty people, Sasuke-sama. None feel they can live up to their status, and they believe it would be disrespectful to live in their area." Neji was skilled in this kind of flattery.

"Exactly. That's why I've made a decision. The Uchiha clan must not die."

Neji was silent, but stared quite blatantly at his master.

"I need an heir," Sasuke continued, narrowing his eyes at the city. "A male heir that can carry my bloodline. Orochimaru had a technique to perpetuate the life of a single body, but I don't want immortality. That is the wish of fools and madmen.

"But…" Neji paused, making sure his question was prudent, "who will you find to mother the child?"

"I've already worked that out. In fact, your timing is perfect." Sasuke turned to meet Neji's stunned look. "Neji, would you fetch Sakura for me? She should be finishing her work for today."

* * *

"_No lust for travel or foreign ways,_

_No desire to see what my life is for,_

_I'd rather just live out my days,_

_And leave my homeland nevermore…_"

If he didn't fear for Kiba's dragging morale, Shino would have told him to stop singing quickly. Tenten was forcing herself to listen to Naruto and Hinata as they chatted about the past few years, bringing their newest member up to speed. Lee had left a few minutes earlier, taking a stick from the fire with him. Nobody really cared where he had gone. The others could have used his company right then, but luckily Kiba's voice was unusually soft, and it was possible not to hear his lyrics over the roaring fire.

"So, is Ichiraku still there?" Naruto asked deftly, somehow convinced of the pivotal nature of this issue.

"I…uh…I don't know, really…I never went there on my own," Hinata replied, trying her best to hide her red cheeks with her hands.

"What do you mean? I saw you there all the time," Naruto commented, recalling what little memory he had of Hinata before his return to the region.

"I…uh…" Hinata's cheeks were practically glowing.

"She only went because of you," Tenten interjected, putting her hand on Hinata's shoulder and offering a smile. Kiba stopped singing just then, rolling over to sleep. The others looked in his direction for a brief moment, but then returned to their conversation.

"Tenten-san, please…" Hinata whispered, waving her hands deftly.

"Hmm? What do you mean, because of me?"

"KIBA!" an energetic voice boomed from the edges of the firelight. Everyone looked to the figure that had supplied it, including the despondent Inuzuka. "I CHALLENGE YOU!"

'Well done, Lee," Shino thought silently, though his gaze only betrayed annoyance.

"Challenge me to what?" Kiba groaned, sitting up. He was clearly not as amused as the others, who bordered on laughter with the humorous entrance.

"A pitch-dark footrace!" Lee clarified, pointing to a small orange light far behind him. Apparently, he had been busy placing it while the others had been talking. Kiba perked up a bit.

"That won't be easy for you," Kiba said, walking to his rival's side, "and we're tied right now in the count. This could put you behind."

"What's the score?" Naruto asked, knowing this system from his days around Kakashi and Gai.

"We're tied at one hundred twelve," Lee said matter-of-factly, "but right now I'm going to take the lead!"

"HA!" Kiba said, in a miraculous good mood. "I'll accept that challenge, if I can use my techniques."

Lee thought this over. "It really wouldn't be fair if I didn't allow that. Your abilities are part of your strength. Go ahead!"

Kiba smiled, turned toward the light, and began the same series of seals he had done that morning. Naruto watched them, wondering what they were.

"If I fail here, I will…no. Kiba, you decide on my manly promise for this round!"

Kiba finished his seals, leaned over to Lee's ear and whispered. "You must confess your love to Tenten. Tonight."

Lee gasped, but kept his composure. He hadn't expected that kind of cheap shot. Kiba usually assigned him normal promises, like pushups or log-kicks. This was below the belt. He turned to speak in Kiba's ear. "Okay, but if you lose, you must do the same for Hinata-san."

Kiba thought. He'd been accepting of Naruto, but Shino never said anything about his behavior toward Hinata. It was a revelation; he had a friendly rivalry with Lee, so why shouldn't he have the same with Naruto? Well, a non-abusive rivalry would be enough for him, so long as he could still be around Hinata.

"OKAY!" he shouted, crouching. A quick nod from Shino let him know that it was okay, and from there his attention was firmly on the goal in the distance. He spoke slowly, making sure Naruto understood the technique he was using for the race. It was a beautiful technique, art really, and Naruto should become familiar with it. On it, all their hopes rested. "Inuzuka Secret Beast Ninpou: Blind Wolf Technique."

What followed could only be described as living poetry. Kiba grew in every direction possible, seething and concentrating as the transformation took place. His spine seemed to bend forward, allowing him to support his weight with his arms. His ribcage widened, opening a long tear in the front of his shirt. His fur coat, left on the ground near his sleeping mat, no longer held a candle to the hair on Kiba's arms and legs, which suddenly became thicker and longer than that of any animal Naruto had ever heard of. The most dramatic change was in Kiba's face, which grew thin and long. His nose became exceedingly prominent, forcing his cheekbones so high as to completely block his eye sockets, with his ears coming to lengthy points behind his head. What was left was a grotesque medley of man and beast, a beautiful half-rabid abomination. Tenten didn't watch, as usual- she couldn't stand the sight of his transformation. Hinata, though, looked on with loving envy. Kiba only ever described this form as being perfect freedom.

"Hinata-san, would you please begin the race?" Lee said, dropping to the runner's starting position beside what was left of Kiba.

"Wait, Lee, what was your promise?" Tenten asked. She was the group's biggest fan of Lee's "manly promises", and secretly wished that he lost more competitions with Kiba so he would have to make more of them. It was the most endearing part of his personality.

"Uh…" Lee stumbled, flustered. "I'll tell you if I lose."

"Oh," Tenten muttered, a bit disappointed.

Hinata walked meekly behind the two figures, hulking and massive in the low light, played with her fingers a bit while Lee got into position, and forced herself to speak loudly enough for both to hear. "Ready…"

Lee tensed, staring at the orange speck in the distance. Kiba snarled, revealing a row of vicious teeth. He couldn't see the dot, but he could hear and smell the small fire on the end of the stick regardless of the distance.

"Go!"

There were no footfalls. There was merely an explosion of wind and earth being torn asunder by the force of each start, forming a small ravine of dust through which either runner could be seen. Lee, clearly the faster of the two now that he had shed his infamous weights, broke out into an early lead, nosing slowly ahead of Kiba. He couldn't see where he was going, but damned if he wasn't going to get there faster than his rival. Kiba, on the other hand, knew precisely where every chip of stone and blade of grass was before him, his overpowered senses more than compensating for his lack of sight in the perfect blackness of the forest night.

* * *

"Was there something you wanted, Sasuke-sama?" Sakura asked meekly from the door. She really didn't want to speak to Sasuke without having some kind of breakthrough, and she succinctly hoped that he wasn't expecting something of her research.

"There was, in fact," Sasuke responded with an uncharacteristically light tone. He was looking out his window, as he often did, and said nothing further. As if by some unspoken command from his silence, Sakura entered his chambers and sat down. She had better hopes with Sasuke's response. He somehow seemed to be in a bad mood before she disappointed him. Perhaps this had nothing to do with her research.

"Well, what can I do for you?"

Sasuke laughed. She'd probably accept then and there, if he asked her. "You are, of course, familiar with the history of my clan? Itachi's actions, specifically?"

Sakura was calmed by Sasuke's laughter, a rare sound, but was slightly unnerved that he could speak of such a grave matter with a chuckle. "Yes, of course."

"Well, I've been wanting for some time now to resurrect my murdered clan. The Uchiha sector of the city is barren because none can live up to the former glory of my clan. I have decided that this can only be rectified with the proliferation of the Uchiha blood. Don't you agree, Sakura?" He still didn't turn to look at her, but spoke quite casually.

"Yes, Sasuke-sama!" Sakura had been hoping for thoughts like this since her school days.

"The responsibility clearly falls to me, then, to produce an heir for my clan, and to do it with the most worthy woman available."

Sakura's mouth kept tightly shut. He hadn't asked a question, and there was no way she would spoil this by speaking out of turn.

"Sakura," Sasuke continued after a moment of terse silence, "this village is holding on by a thread. The most powerful clan, the Uchiha, is dead. The Hyuuga are spent with simply keeping the city safe. The Inuzuka are all in confinement, the Aburame are too unstable to trust, and though the Nara serve they can't be trusted with anything more strenuous than moving a pen. We need to have the Uchiha back…"

Finally, he turned to look at Sakura. Despite his calm, open tone of voice, his face was as cold and condescending as ever.

"Sasuke-sama?"

"…I need a woman strong enough to bear my son."

Sakura sat, holding her own shoulders and crying. "I…I…"

"I don't need an answer now."

"I will marry you," Sakura uttered quickly, looking lovingly up at Sasuke. He seemed perplexed.

"Who mentioned marriage?" he clarified, not expecting an answer.

Sakura's mind hit the brakes. She hadn't quite understood, apparently.

"H…huh?"

"It's quite simple, Sakura, so please try to understand. I don't need a wife. That's just frivolity right now. What I need is an heir, and I can get that with or without a wife. If you don't understand _that_, then I'll call the academy sex-ed sensei and have him explain it to you." Sasuke looked down at Sakura, whose crying had gotten traumatically worse. "Like I said, I don't need an answer now. Take some time and think it over."

* * *

Lee sat, Kiba's bad mood finding a new host in the green-clad shinobi. Kiba, no longer the thaumaturge beast he was during the race, gnawed on a piece of biscuit with an air of triumph. He stared at Lee in pompous prompt, silently telling him to get a move on.

"Tenten," Lee said softly, not daring to look at her. Kiba watched in unsympathetic delight. "Um…could you hand me my backpack? It's right-"

"ARE YOU A MAN OR NOT!" Kiba shouted, cutting Lee off with voluntary rudeness. Nobody corrected him, though, most of them simply glad that he was no longer sulking. Lee stood up as in protest, but calmed himself quickly. He took a deep breath of smoke-stained air, looked down at Tenten and extended his hand.

"Tenten, would you come with me for a moment?"

Tenten, confused but rather eager to comply, took his hand and strode off into the forest behind him. Kiba sat back against a log, grinning widely with his hands behind his head. His shirt was still torn open, and he needed every opportunity to impress Hinata he could grasp. It appeared to be working, too; she pretended to be looking at Naruto as he spoke, but Kiba would catch her trying to look out the corner of her eye every now and then. Luckily, her field of vision wasn't as wide as Neji's.

"Kiba," a stolid voice spoke from a small stump seat beside the fire. Kiba looked to Shino briefly, still smiling, to see what was wrong. "Put a shirt on."

* * *

"Shikamaru-san, it's been a while. Don't tell me you've suddenly decided that you need my help," a young voice mocked from the darkness. Then again, everything was dark then. Night had fallen long ago, and it had been hours since Konoha's yellow light had faded in the distance. Shikamaru ignored the jab and walked right in, taking his usual seat near the door of the squalid shack.

"Don't test me, Kigeki, I've got good news. You'll be sorry if you put me in a bad mood and don't hear me out."

"Good news?" the voice said, sitting in its small chair opposite a round table from Shikamaru. The starlight gave his features a familiarly blurred distinction, and Shikamaru smiled.

"You look more the same than ever, Konohamaru-kun."

"Hurry up and tell me the news, Shikamaru, and don't use that name!"

"Well, you won't believe it, but Naruto's back. The first confirmed contact with him came in this morning."

Konohamaru sat back in his chair, barely able to contain himself. He held in a cry for joy for a moment, then saw fit to let it go. "YATTA! I knew he'd come back, I knew it! Shikamaru, did you get him to Shino-san?"

"No, actually, he found them on his own. I was impressed. He even killed one of our ANBU, and a good one at that."

"It really is Naruto, then! Where is he? I have to go see him!"

"No, not yet. Something's going on with Sakura and Sasuke, by the looks of things, and if it's some sort of breakthrough then I'll need you here to help me stop it. Is that clear?"

"Yeah, yeah," Konohamaru mumbled, slouching once more in his chair. He plucked a heavy bag from one of the nearby indistinguishable pieces of furniture, slid it across the table at Shikamaru and crossed his arms. "There's your next supply. Remember to thank Kabuto-san for his contribution."

"Thank him for me, I'm not in the mood to entertain ghosts."

"Whatever. As soon as you think it's safe for me to contact the Resistance, let me know."

"Of course, Kigeki-san."

Shikamaru sped to the southwest, toward Konoha. He never entered the ruins of Sound on his own, which made Konohamaru such a lucky find. He was weighed down a bit by the vials in his bag, but the effort was well worth it. Then again, the immense "laboratory test subjects" budget his actions prompted did cut into his salary. He had decided long ago that the benefits outweighed such things.

* * *

Don't forget to review, and feel free to give me any requests you'd like to see. That's not to say that I'll comply, mind you, I just want a better idea of what you'd like to see. Thanks. I hope you've enjoyed the chapter. 


	5. The Release

Hello, all. I'm back. Sorry for the wait.

Dedication: Glory to God that I am blessed with such an exquisite method of expression, and such wonderful readers, fans and critics to share it with. He's too good to me.

Ultimatum: Read my profile for instructions on reviews. I mean it. This is important.

**Legacy**

Chapter Five- The Release

_"When liberty is taken away by force it can be restored by force. When it is relinquished voluntarily by default it can never be recovered."_

_Dorothy Thompson, author and commentator, 1893-1961_

A beautiful panic ran circles in Kiba's head. Disbelief blotted out all the other priorities that tried to push their way to the surface. He had other obligations, duties to perform, responsibilities he could not shrug off, but for once they were unimportant. Kiba pushed them to the back of his mind just long enough for this one moment to exist. In a fearful catastrophe of giddy fright and untold exertion, he saw Hinata's face, smiling up at him through soft, joyful tears. She clung to him, as though afraid to let go, and they breathed together in their joint movement. Kiba felt peace finally, though for no physical reason. He knew for the first time that Hinata was his own, and that she accepted him in return.

With a gasp, it was gone. Kiba was alone again, sitting in his bed and glistening in a cold sweat. The panic he had been feeling subsided as he reassured himself that the he had only been dreaming, that this miraculous experience of final release was just another in a long string of illusions. He was sick of the disappointment, but knew to keep his dreams in their proper place.

The others were still asleep. Thankfully, he hadn't woken Shino with his dreams again. Kiba sighed and stared at the glowing embers of the fire that had been crackling vividly when he had gone to sleep. They smoldered now, but could not cover Hinata's scent with the traces of smoke they put out. They simply flickered hopelessly, begging to be fueled once again. Even if he wanted to rekindle the flames, there was no more fuel for kilometers. The Village of Sand was only another twelve hours away, and the last of the shrubbery had gone into the meager fire that had already burned out.

* * *

It was a large room, larger than Anko was comfortable with. It had been an observatory before Sasuke, one of her favorite places in the city, and seeing it outfitted as a living space felt very much like seeing a fanciful childhood friend as a jaded adult. Still, she pressed forward into what was certainly the most frightening presence she had ever felt. Even Orochimaru did not generate this sort of oppression to those in a room; hell, she had even been comfortable around her old sensei. Being near Sasuke-sama was like being near the First Hokage, a revolutionary of greater power than other men could fathom.

"What is it?" the confident, shallow voice came from the window. Sasuke was looking out over his city. Anko noted that the house to which she had been assigned was directly in his field of vision, and that he seemed to be comfortable standing there.

"Sasuke-sama," she began weakly, to her own disappointment. "It's me, Mit…"

"I know who you are, Anko. What do you want?" There was no genuine interest in his voice. Anko felt only that her presence offended him.

"It's Kakashi-dono, sir. He's…he's not well."

Sasuke turned his head a bit, glaring at Anko out of the corner of his eye. "How so?"

Anko hated being looked at by Sasuke. She felt ashamed, somehow, as though she didn't deserve to be there yet refused to leave. "He has fits, Hokage-sama. He's taken to breaking things. I hear him talking to himself when he doesn't know I'm there, nonsense mostly. He won't talk to me anymore. I guess that's not a big deal, since he never really liked me, but I'm worried that he might be going mad." Anko stood for a moment, feeling very exposed, before her Hokage's indignant gaze.

"Cabin fever," he muttered and turned back to the window. He didn't say anything for a long moment, and Anko began to wonder if that was his diagnosis and if she should thank him and leave. "Tell Kakashi to report to me tomorrow morning. I have a mission for him," Sasuke said finally, turning his shoulders a bit to make it perfectly clear that he was finished. Anko said nothing in return, but bowed deeply and backed away quickly. She had once been known for her iron constitution. Now, she trembled in the presence of a man half her age.

* * *

Kiba's sour mood was tangible the following day. There was nothing for breakfast but lumpy lukewarm porridge, which used up a good quantity of their dwindling water supplies. Anything else would dehydrate the shinobi, so there were no complaints, but few men can walk happily through the desert on lukewarm porridge. Lee was among them.

"I can't wait to get to Sunagakure!" he chimed with a healthy stretch. He had been sleeping uncomfortably in the sand, unused as he was to such conditions. "I haven't seen Gaara-san in so long! I'll bet he's gotten twice as strong as he was!"

"I'm not sure that's possible, sweetums," Tenten interrupted, taken aback by Lee's optimism. Both Kiba and Shino winced at her demeanor, which had been getting increasingly more endearingly nauseating around her new boyfriend.

"Don't get too excited, Lee," Kiba interjected before Tenten could, potentially, say anything more. "You can't even beat me, and Gaara is out of my league. He's not turning down your challenges because he's worried for himself, you know."

Lee stopped. He had been at the front of the group, by far the most enthusiastic, but quickly dropped behind. Kiba stopped as he passed his rival, hoping he hadn't shattered any idealistic assumptions he had fostered, but Lee's face betrayed nothing but disbelief and amusement. "Is that a challenge, Kiba?"

"Oh, no," Shino muttered, dropping his pack where he stood. They wouldn't be moving from that spot for a few minutes yet.

Kiba grinned. This would improve his mood. It always did. "Yeah, sure. Whaddya have in mind?"

"You issued the challenge," Lee observed, shedding his own gear. "You decide."

Kiba thought for a short moment, then threw his luggage to Shino's feet. "First to draw blood?"

"Sounds fair. You don't transform, I keep my weights, one kunai each, no jutsu."

"Allright. Hinata, would you please signal the start of…"

"Now hold on!" Naruto boomed from the back. "Why do you guys get to spar while I have to stand back and watch? I want in on this!" His eyes never left Kiba, who had been sidling him for the past week every time he tried to approach Hinata.

Lee stopped for a moment and thought, but Kiba's mouth curved into a toothy grin. His day just got a whole lot better. "Deal! Three-man fight, last one not bleeding is the winner!"

Lee looked over at Kiba with concern. "Should we really let him in on our rivalry?"

"It's only one match, Lee. We both know that you and I are the real rivals here. Besides, I've been wanting a piece of Naruto for a while. It'll be tough, with no transformations, but I think I can handle him."

The three remaining shinobi cleared a large area of the flat, rocky desert ground, where the contenders stood in a rough triangle. Hinata, excited but just a little scared, stood with her arm extended, holding a red piece of cloth. Her soft voice was barely audible over the desert wind. "Get ready, get set…"

"Wait!" Lee interrupted, slapping his forehead. "We have made no manly promises for this contest!"

Kiba and Lee closed in to a huddle, and Naruto quickly followed suit. "Well, this is Naruto's first challenge, so we have to give him something hard, but something that can be done on the move. How about a thousand cartwheels?" Kiba offered, hoping to occupy Lee's attention. He failed.

"Wait a second, Kiba. Now, I followed through with the promise from our last contest, but you have not."

Kiba blushed. "I won that contest. I don't have to do the same promise."

"Well, if you're going to assign Naruto-san's promise, it makes sense that I should assign your and he should assign mine. Doesn't it?"

"Well…"

"Good. You will have the same promise as before, Naruto-san will have the cartwheels. Naruto, what should I do if I lose?"

Naruto, silent rather through awe to this point, went into a mild concentration. "Well, I don't know. Oh! You'll have to carry Tenten and Hinata's packs for the rest of the trip! That sounds fair."

Lee nodded and retreated to his starting position. Naruto did the same. Kiba lingered, a little frightened at the prospect of loss. Reluctantly, he walked back to the small rock he had been standing by at the beginning, drew a kunai and waited for Hinata to start the match.

"Get ready, get set, go!" Hinata dropped her red cloth, which settled gently on the desert ground. Before the tiny wisp of dust it stirred had settled, all three combatants had connected in the center of their playing field.

The fight began just as was expected. Naruto was taken by surprise when he realized that Kiba and Lee were not simply fighting with kunai but taijutsu as well. A few well-placed kicks that connected with Naruto's ribs and thighs whetted Kiba's appetite for an aggressive beating of his unofficial rival. With one large opening showing itself he kicked Lee a good distance away from the fray and began to concentrate on Naruto.

Lee landed gracelessly on his back, expecting both of his opponents to pounce on him as easy prey. Instead, he heard the fight continuing without him as Naruto and Kiba exchanged half-thought curses and wholly-meant punches. As Lee stood, a particularly savage clash threw both kunai clear of the pugilism. Neither combatant retrieved their weapons, but pressed even closer together, swinging fists and knees as they bit into each other's shoulders.

In a flash, Naruto and Kiba were pried from each other's grip and stood separate. Before they realized what had happened Lee stood between them, their own kunai in his hands. A thin red line formed on both of their chests, with only a trace of blood shed. Lee frowned at both of them in turn, dropped their knives at their feet, and returned to his baggage. He neither smiled nor spoke.

The others walked away as Kiba and Naruto stood there, where they had been fighting, staring at the kunai at their feet. A few minutes' introspection led Naruto to pick up his knife and begin wiping it off. He walked past Kiba to his pack, but stopped as Kiba spoke.

"I'm sorry."

Naruto thought for a moment. "Don't be. We both lost our heads."

"Not that. I did that on purpose. I'm sorry because I'm not going to lighten up. I love her, and she deserves better than the likes of you. I'm sorry. That's how it's going to be."

Naruto's fists tightened. His teeth ground. "You think you're better than me?"

"For her? Absolutely."

An intense moment of silence passed. Neither man turned to face the other. Finally, Naruto grabbed his pack and began to walk after the others. "Hurry up, or we'll leave you behind."

* * *

Kakashi loathed Sasuke. He sat in his office, sitting stoically in the chair he had sat in for years and, for once, hating the man to whom he reported.

"It's been a while, sensei. How have you been?" Sasuke spoke with genuine interest, a rarity.

Kakashi said nothing in response.

"It's very nostalgic seeing you here. It would be great to bring the whole team together, like old times. Don't you think so?"

"Go to hell," Kakashi mumbled. He had long ago abandoned the love he had for his students. Courtesy had no meaning for him.

"Don't speak like that, sensei. Especially not in front of a lady."

Catching his queue, Neji opened the office door for Sakura, who walked in quietly and nervously. Kakashi turned at the sound and gasped at the sight. He stood and faced Sakura, who subsequently broke into tears. Overcome by relief, she ran to her old sensei and clung to him, sobbing into his chest.

"They…said…" she choked out, but could manage nothing ore. Sasuke guessed what she meant to say and related it to Kakashi.

"I had circulated the rumor of your death about six years ago to discourage any kind of uprising. Sakura was never a rebellion risk, but she helped to spread the propaganda like few could."

Kakashi ignored this grave insult. It had been years since he had seen anyone but Sasuke, Anko and the guards, making his student's presence a delight beyond expression. He would not spoil it with grudges. "Have you been treated well, Sakura?"

Sakura nodded silently.

"She's been treated excellently, sensei. She's one of the premier members of my staff." Sasuke nodded to Neji, who led Sakura out of the room. She made no attempt to resist, and Kakashi made no attempt to follow. Both were entirely drained. "However, her treatment is about to take a rather severe turn for the worse," Sasuke continued, sitting grimly behind his desk.

Kakashi turned back to Sasuke in a flash. "What?"

"That is, unless you're willing to rejoin the workforce, sensei. There is a mission that only you can complete. Do it faithfully, and I will reward both you and Sakura. Deny me or betray me, and both of you will suffer."

Kakashi narrowed his one exposed eye. He had been driving himself mad to leave the city, but this was nearly as intolerable as captivity. "What is the mission?"

Sasuke smiled. "I was once on a team with three comrades. Two are here with me, and one is yet missing."

* * *

Shino slowed to a stop. ANBU guards gathered near the entrance to Sunagakure, blocking all passage. Though the Resistance was still several hundred yards away, it was clear that something was amiss. When the others had followed suit, a single ANBU captain came forth to address them.

"Welcome, Aburame-dono. On behalf of Sunagakure I apologize for this inconvenience, but Kazekage-sama is away and we have implemented new security protocols."

Shino nodded and took off his pack. He was familiar with standard security increases in Sunagakure, so this was nothing upsetting. The others did likewise, throwing them into a pile for inspection. Several other ANBU arrived and picked them up. When he had finished Shino took a step forward, expecting to continue, but the ANBU captain did not budge. Shino stopped again. "Is there something else?" he asked, more annoyed than curious.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. Him," the captain announced, louder than before, and pointed to Naruto. "Our orders stand. Only known allies are to enter the city. I'm the senior officer, and I've never seen him before."

"This is Uzumaki-san, son of the Fourth Hokage and member of my Resistance. Let him pass. I will vouch…"

"I don't care if you can vouch for him, Aburame-dono. Our orders are clear. Only those known to us may enter the village."

Shino pushed up his sunglasses. "We require entry to your city. We are low on resources, and we must speak with your ruling family."

"I do not deny you entrance."

"But why must we enter without one of our number? Is the Resistance not known to you?"

"I know each of you, but I do not know him. Come now, Aburame-dono, do not make an issue of this. An ANBU fortification is located ninety-six kilometers south of here, and Uzumaki-dono is welcome to stay there until you have finished your business. He will be quite comfortable, I assure you."

"Now see here, you…"

"Shino, stop. It's okay. I'll go." Naruto took a few steps forward and joined the ANBU captain. Everyone, including Kiba, looked back to him with surprise. Naruto was not one from whom they would expect such self-sacrifice.

Shino thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, Naruto. Thank you. However, I don't think you should go alone." Kiba gasped. Shino continued. "Choose someone to go with you."

"Hinata-chan," Naruto said in an instant, inciting a flattered blush from the kunoichi. Kiba glared at him.

"I'll go with him, too. You know, just in case," Kiba offered, taking a step toward his pack. Shino grabbed him by the shoulder.

"No, you won't. You obviously can't be trusted alone with Uzumaki-san, and I need you here. The two of them will be enough for anything that might crop up here in the desert. Don't worry."

Kiba shot one last look at Naruto before he turned his back to leave, escorted by ANBU and followed by Hinata. Naruto turned to look back over his shoulder, a sly grin sneaking onto his face.

* * *

With a bang, the door to the Hokage's office crashed open. Shikamaru walked in, a paper in his hand and a cabal of angry Hyuuga guards walking in a tight circle around him and mimicking his every move. He walked fearlessly to the Hokage's desk and held the paper before Sasuke, who recognized it as Kakashi's mission briefing.

"I didn't authorize this," he growled, looking slightly below Sasuke's eyes. Looking into his eyes would be hazardous.

Sasuke remained motionless. "Release them," he ordered, his anger showing in his voice. Shikamaru reluctantly relieved the Hyuuga guards of his Shadow Imitation technique, and as soon as he did he was smothered by a swift attempt at retaliation. "Stop," Sasuke muttered. The speed with which the Hyuuga responded, releasing Shikamaru and standing at attention, was staggering and, to the genius plotting the Hokage's destruction, rather frightening. "Leave us."

The guards, frowning at Shikamaru when they could, walked obediently out of the room. Shikamaru held up Kakashi's briefing once again, silently demanding an explanation.

"You did not authorize that, Shikamaru, because I am Hokage and do not require your authorization to do anything. Kakashi-sensei has been sent to retrieve Naruto because no-one else could do the job, and he was going to go insane before long if I didn't get him moving around, doing something."

"What makes you think he's trustworthy?"

"He won't betray me. I have collateral. Relax, Shikamaru. I've already pulled your ANBU out of the surrounding area, and Kakashi-sensei can track any target. He won't fail."

"Collateral?" Shikamaru lowered his arm and looked questioningly at Sasuke. He didn't like that Sasuke was applying assets he wasn't aware of. "Wait, what surrounding area? Where are they?"

"Don't worry, Shikamaru. It's all been taken care of. It's your job now to plan our attack on what remains of the Resistance. You can count on having Kakashi in our arsenal, maybe even Naruto."

"But what…"

"You wanted to see me, Sasuke-sama?" a small, feminine voice asked from the door behind Shikamaru. He turned around and, in an instant, realized how Sasuke had gotten Kakashi to remain loyal.

"Yes, Sakura, come in. Did you bring the hypodermics, as I asked?" Sasuke rose from his chair, obviously pained by the movement.

"Yes, Sasuke-sama."

"Good. You're dismissed, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru backed away from Sasuke, slowly. His face made quite clear the disbelief he felt. "Yes, my Hokage."

* * *

Naruto reveled in his good fortune. He could not have planned his position better, unless there was some way to have gotten Hinata to volunteer to join him on her own. He didn't dwell on that possibility. He was comfortable in the small barracks, slowly gnawing a piece of jerky and watching Hinata prepare bandages from strips of burlap. She looked very kind, very domestic sitting there, stitching and cutting fabric while humming softly to herself.

"What song is that?" Naruto asked, wishing more to hear her voice than to prompt any sort of conversation. Hinata didn't answer right away, but started to sing when the chorus came around again. Her voice was soft and sweet, gingerly dripping out the words that hung in the air and seemed to swirl together.

"_So leave still your cart and set your mules free,_

_Take thee no pack, we'll find means on the way,_

_Paradise waits, and find it we shall,_

_If our feet do not stop 'till our last dying day_."

She said no more for a bit, but let Naruto soak up the lyrics. She thought on them herself, and of the man who taught them to her.

"Kiba-kun wrote that for me," she said, quieter than she had been when she sang. "He told me to remember it, so if something ever…"

Hinata choked up for a moment, losing her composure only for a moment. Guilt flashed itself briefly in her mind, guilt at her attraction to Naruto, and it took her best reasoning to stem it.

"It's a nice song," Naruto said, genuinely irritated at the mention of Kiba. His rival, it seemed, was exerting his influence even in his absence. The thoughts of Hinata's remarkable singing paled in comparison.

"Pardon me, Uzumaki-san. You have a visitor," the ANBU captain that had brought them to the outpost called from the hallway. Naruto glanced out the small window that illuminated the mud-brick room, but could not see the entrance to the low building.

"Who is it?"

"His name is Hatake Kakashi. He says you know him."

* * *

The Resistance entered the city of Sunagakure, Kiba smoldering and Lee and Tenten waving joyously at the residents that recognized their honored guests. Unfortunately, the village was still largely asleep, with dusk having passed nearly an hour before and a strict work ethic keeping the populous on a tight sleep schedule. The four shinobi made their way to the quarters of the Kazekage, the Sand's equivalent of Hokage Tower. With Gaara away from the city, only one person could be there, and Kiba dreaded the thought. Despite his most sincere wishes to the contrary, the Resistance was greeted by exactly that person.

"Hey guys. I'm taking over for my little brother while he's away, so think of me as acting Kazekage."

Shino spoke for the group. "Of course, Temari-san."

Temari noticed Kiba, who kept his gaze glued to the ground. She walked coyly into his field of vision and looked the group over. "Where's your girlfriend, Kiba-kun?"

"She went south to the ANBU station when your guards turned Uzumaki-san away," Shino replied when Kiba failed to acknowledge the question. Temari turned back to Shino, clearly amused.

"Is that so? Well, I don't know if Gaara would let Uzumaki-san into the village anyhow, so I guess she'll have to stay there for your entire visit. How long are you planning to stay, anyhow?" Again, she directed her question to Kiba, whose eyes did not wander from the floor.

"Four days," Shino replied, no longer waiting for Kiba. "Any longer, and we'll miss our monthly supply train raid."

Temari grinned. "Well, Gaara's taken an official stance of supporting your movement. I can send ANBU to take care of that little project, if you feel like staying longer. They're generally reliable. Would you like that?"

"Where is Gaara?" Shino asked, not willing to promise more time in the city than was necessary.

"He and Kankurou took off with that old hermit who keeps trying to feel me up. I don't remember his name, but he used to belong to your village."

"Jiraiya-sama was here? When?" Shino perked up. Even Kiba shifted his attention to Temari, who absorbed it like a sponge.

"You know what? It's late, and you've had a long day. Why don't we discuss these things tomorrow? We have a festival in a couple of days, so most of my duties have been delegated to the local planning commission. I have lots of free time," she said, her eyes never leaving Kiba's. Kiba looked away, though reluctantly. The powerful woman had always held a peculiar attraction for Kiba, though he usually had Hinata there to distract him. Being there without her was, in a word, frustrating.

"Fine. Have our luggage sent to the barracks when you've finished searching it," Shino instructed, turning for the door. The others followed him until Temari spoke again.

"The barracks? Why?"

"That's where we stay when we visit, Temari-san. You know that," Tenten said, turning to face Temari. She hoped earnestly that she'd be corrected with some other offer, as the barracks used by the local ANBU were horrid. To her delight, such an offer was made.

"Don't bother. Gaara's not here, so I've found you something a bit more suitable. Aburame-san, you can stay in the guest room in our family home on the west side. I'm sure you know the way. Rock-san, I've kept one of the suites of the hotel down the street so I could watch the parade during the festival. I won't be sleeping there, so you can go ahead and spend the night. Tenten…"

"I can stay in that room, too," Tenten announced, reaching slightly to grasp Lee's hand. Both of them blushed. Temari chuckled.

"Okay, great. Just tell the front desk that I sent you and there won't be any problems."

"What about me?" Kiba asked reluctantly. Temari smiled in a devilish way.

"You'll be staying here, Inuzuka-san. There's a room on the top floor that's been unoccupied for nearly ten years. It'd be a waste if you didn't take advantage of it."

"Why hasn't anyone claimed it yet?"

"Oh, it's been claimed. It just hasn't been slept in."

* * *

Shikamaru sat uneasily in his chair, looking at a map of the Country of Fire. He had the perfect formula for assaulting Shino and the Resistance in any circumstance, even if Kakashi and Naruto were with them. Oh, there would be dozens of casualties, losses barely sufferable with city security in mind, but the entire rebellion would be wiped out.

Shikamaru crumpled the map, like thousands before it, and tossed it into the trash.

Chouji opened another bag of chips in the larger of the two chairs that faced Shikamaru's desk. He crunched away happily, thinking only of his wife and daughter that were making him a kingly meal back at home. He was an empathetic person, however, and picked up on Shikamaru's uneasiness.

"What's the matter, Shikamaru?" he munched out. Manners were lost on Chouji and few expected anything else. He reached the doorknob with his free hand and closed the heavy slab of maple, lest any suspicious ears wander nearby.

"I'm worried. I could fool Neji and Sasuke with plans that were superficially perfect and inherently flawed. That's how the Resistance has survived. However, I could only fool them because they're completely inexperienced. Since Sasuke took over, neither has been outside of the city. They don't know what works and what doesn't in terms of strategy and tactics."

"So what's wrong?"

Shikamaru tossed Kakashi's mission briefing over to Chouji. "Kakashi's been released from house arrest, and he's on Sasuke's side. I don't know why, but he's agreed to go retrieve Naruto. They know the Resistance is in Sunagakure, and that Naruto will be alone a hundred kilometers to the south. I have no idea how they got this information, but I assume there's a mole in the Country of Wind that I'm not aware of. All of this is happening right now regardless of any orders I could give, not to mention that Kakashi's field experience is extensive. I'll have to start producing real strategies, which means Shino's in real trouble for the first time since I took over ANBU. I'm out of Ideas, Chouji. I don't know what I should do."

Chouji thought deliberately for a long time. Shikamaru went back to his maps, assuming Chouji had no clue what the problem was. After a few minutes of silence, Chouji finally spoke. "Quit."

"What?" Shikamaru prompted, little actual interest in his voice.

"You have two choices. You can either keep pretending to work, get caught by Kakashi and be executed, or you can leave Konoha and join up with Shino. I can stay here and keep making trips to Kigeki to slow down Ino and Sakura. You should quit and leave."

Shikamaru looked at Chouji, very slowly. He had been thinking about this situation for hours, and somehow his friend's innocent insight was able to boil it down into one acceptable option. "Shino would still face real ANBU attacks, but my mind wouldn't be guiding them, and he'd have me there to help."

"Right. It would be somebody else's job to direct them. Somebody not as smart."

Shikamaru put down his pen and stood. He put a hand on his forehead and thought aloud. "If I stay here, it'll only be trouble for Shino or, worse, trouble for me." Another long pause. "But, what'll you say when they question you about me?"

"I'll plead ignorance. It won't even be a lie," Chouji chuckled.

Shikamaru decided, reluctantly, that this was the best option after all. He wavered, though, over a single issue. He wouldn't be able to see Ino if he left, potentially for years. Heaven knew what Sasuke would do to her in that amount of time.

_No_, he thought. _These damn women are too troublesome. I haven't seen a friendly face other than my teammates' in six years, and the others will need me to help ward off Kakashi. I have to go._

"Chouji, I'm going."

"Okay. I'll see you Thursday."

Shikamaru paused. "Thursday?"

"Yeah. My route goes by the north of the country on Thursdays. You know that."

Shikamaru sighed and let out a smile. He'd even be able to see Chouji when he left. "See you then, buddy."

* * *

Kiba could not sleep. He could barely stand to lie down. Closing his eyes felt awkward and so he stared blankly into the ceiling, his hands held behind his head in feigned relaxation. Something about this being Gaara's unused bedroom was offsetting, and his mind interrupted his thoughts constantly with images of the enraged Kazekage returning and reclaiming what was rightfully his.

Not that his thoughts were settling in the first place. He tried to think of business, politics, and inevitable combat, but thoughts of Hinata always broke through. When he thought on Hinata, thoughts of Naruto would wash any pleasantness away, leading him to think, against his will, of Temari. She had been, if not attracted to, amused by Kiba ever since they had met formally, and was not one to take lightly her feelings for another person. Her advances had in the past been thwarted by Kiba's intimacy with Hinata, but with the Hyuuga heir so far away Kiba had difficulty focusing on any honorable thoughts.

He sat up on the edge of the bed, rubbing his face with the hands he had washed for the first time since the Resistance crossed a large river nearly a week ago. His nightstand had been provisioned with sake, and so a few drinks of warm liquid were taken to calm his nerves.

Kiba had just lied back into his bed after several minutes of contemplation, and drinking, when he heard the door to the vast room open. A bit of light from the hall seemed infinitely bright, and so he could not see who had entered the room, but the smell was impossibly familiar.

"Hinata…?" he muttered, only mostly awake. The intruder, obviously female by the figure silhouetted by the light, walked cautiously to Kiba's bedside, sat, and leaned over that her face would be nearer his.

"If that's what you want, Kiba-kun," Temari replied, moving closer. Kiba, outraged, pushed her back and sat up, pulling his legs beneath him so he would crouch on the mattress.

"You still had Hinata's pack," he reasoned aloud, "and her clothing." The door to the room clicked shut, closed by its own weight, and Kiba's eyes adjusted to the darkness once again. Temari sat, angry and disappointed, on his bed, wearing Hinata's coat and pants. Even her hair had been let down and rubbed with Hinata's familiar perfume.

"I thought this would be a nice little surprise," she offered, scooting closer to Kiba. He backed away in accordance, drawing a look of exasperation from the woman. "Look, Kiba. Your flat little friend is ninety-six kilometers away, spending the night with another man. What's the big deal? Don't you like me?"

Kiba scoffed. That certainly wasn't it.

"Hinata has moved on, gotten herself a new lover. You should, too," Temari continued, scooting closer once again. This time, Kiba did not back away. He sat and looked away, trying to convince himself of anything that would require him to expel Temari from his room, and failing. Every convincing argument faded from his mind and refused to return as he smelled Hinata sitting beside him. His stomach tied itself in knots, and his tongue ran itself over his teeth. He was just making a mental note on the dangers of sake when he felt Temari, pressing her mouth against his, pulling him back onto the mattress. He wrangled free long enough to speak.

"I can't," he grunted, not moving but expecting Temari to leave him alone. She did not.

"Why not?" she asked, resuming her advance. Kiba mulled the question over for a moment, deciding that there was no reason. Hinata was too far away to know, and had left him the first chance she got. Temari was here, and Kiba was weak.

* * *

"KAKASHI-SENSEI!" Naruto shouted, more excited to see his teacher than he had ever been as a genin. Forgetting formalities, he ran through the door to the ANBU station and embraced Kakashi, who did not move to return the gesture. His face had a look of distant disinterest, a common expression for the stoic shinobi but never so forced as it was at the moment. Naruto, oblivious, took a step back and smiled brightly at his sensei. "How did you get out of the city? How did you know where I was? Where's Sakura-chan?"

Kakashi said nothing for a long time. It was refreshing to see Naruto, even more so than when he had first seen Sakura, but the circumstances were too dire for sentiment. Naruto's smile faded as Kakashi's expressionless gaze turned to one of sorrowful determination. "Naruto…I'm sorry."

"Eh? For what?"

Kakashi slowly put one hand behind his back and another on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto made no move to flee, even when he saw the fingertips of Kakashi's free hand glowing with purple flame. He couldn't comprehend the situation, even as Kakashi drove this hand into his stomach. More aware of his connection with the Kyuubi than he had once been, Naruto felt the Five Element Seal taking effect, but still did not understand.

"Why…?" he choked out, holding his stomach.

"For Sasuke," Kakashi said simply, "and for Sakura." His right foot lashed out toward Naruto's left temple, but his student clasped his ankle before it could connect.

"For Sasuke?" Naruto asked, still holding Kakashi's leg. "I always knew you liked him the best."

Naruto snapped his fingers, the resulting explosion knocking Kakashi's leg free and sending his body back into the sand. He righted himself immediately and pulled his forehead protector away from his left eye, the red of the sharingan bringing back several less-than-pleasant memories for Naruto. Hinata watched in horror from the doorway as the two men clashed, both swinging furiously and both too nimble to actually take a blow.

"Stop!" she shouted instinctively, her usual soft voice straining to be heard above the clamor of the fight. Naruto was distracted just long enough for Kakashi to finally plant a well-aimed elbow into his chest.

Naruto's short backward flight ended with a clumsy landing, a hasty regrouping, and a quick hand seal. He did not announce the Body Flicker Technique, for fear of giving his actions away, but Kakashi recognized it just as soon as Naruto's foot collided forcefully with the back of his head.

_This is bad_, he thought, rolling to relieve some of the force from the blow. _Naruto can use the Fourth's teleportation technique. Even with the sharingan, I can't keep up with that. I've been cooped up in that damn house for too long. Though the Kyuubi is sealed, this may not be possible._

Naruto pounced as Kakashi regained his footing, swinging a kunai aimed for his teacher's throat. Kakashi ducked and, after a few seals, caught Naruto's feet in a tangle of dry vines. The plants stretched upward, resisting all attempts to be broken, and wrapped themselves around Naruto's hands to keep his fingers separate. Naruto struggled feebly, looking around and wondering why none of the Sand ANBU were coming to help him. Kakashi extended his right hand, holding his wrist. The stars that once shone brightly in the perfectly clear desert sky dimmed in the light of Kakashi's chakra, sparking and chirping from his fingertips.

"Naruto, I'm not here to kill you. Come quietly, and nobody will get hurt. You cannot form seals in the Vine Snare technique; you cannot even snap your fingers. Please, surrender."

Naruto looked with fear at the chidori, but shook off the feeling in an instant. He shot his teacher a cocky grin and pulled against the vines. "Surrender? To Sasuke's pawn? HA! Cracking Knuckle Explosion!" He pressed his palms forward against the vines, letting his fingers fall back. After a second or two his knuckles popped, firing off a series of tiny shock waves and crackling noises. The vines were torn asunder around his hands, allowing him to perform a single seal. "Expanding Frog Breath!" Naruto inhaled more deeply than nay human could, his torso and limbs expanding like balloons. Mere moments under the increasing pressure caused the vines to burst, leaving Naruto standing unharmed amid the fallen pieces of plant matter. He let out a long sigh, shrinking back to normal size, and assumed a defensive stance.

Kakashi reeled. The chidori faded from his hand, and the Copy Ninja took several steps backward in fear. The Naruto he knew had always relied on overwhelming force to conquer opponents, pushing and enduring his way through traps and combat without any sort of planning. Jiraiya, it seemed, had endowed him with an arsenal of odd, troublesome techniques and, worse, taught him how to use them properly. Kakashi was in no shape to put up a real fight, not after so much time inactive. The cakewalk Sasuke had expected had turned into a rather dangerous miscalculation.

"Uzumaki-dono! Are you hurt?" Several ANBU came running from the fortress, having been awakened by the sound of the explosions from Naruto's knuckles. Their captain was nowhere to be seen, but Hinata finally got up the nerve to leave the doorway. Naruto ignored all of them.

"Go back to Konoha, Kakashi-sensei. Tell Sasuke that I'll never go quietly, and he'll never take me by force."

Kakashi turned without hesitation and began the trip back to his city. Upon review, he decided that this had been the best possible outcome.

* * *

Shikamaru felt refreshingly light as he descended Hokage tower, thinking to himself that this would be the last time he'd have to make the trip under Sasuke's rule. He smiled, even, for no reason at all. He chuckled at his own demeanor, thinking that this was how clouds felt all the time.

"Where are you off to, Shikamaru-sama?"

Shikamaru froze at the sound of Neji's stale voice. He was on the ground floor when he heard it, obviously headed for the door. He couldn't say he was going anywhere in the Tower, which was a problem. He hadn't left the building in over a year, having never found a viable reason.

"I was just going out for a drink," he offered, looking straight ahead. Neji was behind him somewhere, probably at the clerk's desk.

"We have plenty of water and tea in the cafeteria, sir," Neji retorted. Something was not right. Shikamaru always looked away when he was doing something he shouldn't.

"I'm going for sake, Neji, not tea." Shikamaru began walking for the door, as though that would conclude the conversation.

"I have sake in my quarters. Come, we'll have a drink together." Neji didn't even bother trying to sound friendly, making the offer sound much more like a command.

"I…prefer to drink alone, thanks." He grabbed the handle on the heavy oak doors and began to push.

"I've seen you drink with Akimichi Chouji-san quite often."

"Chouji…is nobody. I don't even notice when he's around. If I drink with him, it's only because I can't get hid of him. You're the head of the Hyuuga clan and the Captain of the Guard. Drinking with you would be different. I just want to be left in peace." The vague air of honesty in Shikamaru's voice convinced Neji. He walked away, not even bothering to respond. Shikamaru heaved the door open and walked briskly out into the city.

"Idiot," he muttered.


	6. The Division

Welcome back, readers. I beg your patience through this chapter, which consists of several very important plot points but very little action. This is to be properly balanced out by Chapter Seven, which has already been written and contains copious amounts of gratuitous violence. I think I've supplied enough plot to make any violence tasteful, so I've let loose, but none of it is possible without Chapter Six providing the motive. So please, read on and enjoy the show. I'll post Chapter Seven shortly. 

As always, pleaseleave me a review to let me know what I'm doing wrong. Even more importantly, enjoy the story.

**Legacy **

Chapter Six: The Division

"_Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things I am tempted to think there are no little things."_

_-Bruce Barton, American Congressman_

"SHINO!"

The cry was so loud, one would wonder how the man shouting failed to tear his throat with the effort. The former Kazakage's family mansion shuttered with the sound. Shino was a light sleeper with excellent hearing, and so rousing him would have taken considerably less. The excessive noise and rudeness of his awakening meant that, surely, Uzumaki Naruto had found a way into the city. He stood and, angrily, left his allotted quarters for the main room of the large building.

Just as predicted, Naruto stood in the main hall of the mansion, holding shut the front door. On the other side of the entrance, half a dozen guards pushed and grunted, trying to get in and apprehend the offender. Also in the main hall was Hinata, apparently very shaken and bordering on tears.

"What are you doing here, Naruto-san?" Shino asked as calmly as he could.

"Kakashi-sensei tried to kill me!" Naruto thundered, his voice not at all quieter than it had been while summoning the Aburame. Shino, significantly less annoyed but very much afraid of this scenario, approached the door, pulled it open slowly, and held up a hand to order the guards to stand down. Reluctantly, they stopped their efforts and stood at attention. Naruto backed away from the door, but still stood behind Shino.

"Are you sure of this, Naruto-san? It was not an imposter, or some sort of genjutsu?"

"YES, I'M BLOODY SURE! I know my own teacher, Shino! This was Kakashi-sensei! He came to the outpost and told me to come with him back to Sasuke, and when I didn't he tried to kill me!"

Shino said nothing, but walked out of the building and started to head for the tallest building in the city. Naruto and Hinata followed, somewhat puzzled but not questioning their leader. A few awkward minutes later, they found themselves walking into the building they knew as the quarters of the Kazekage. The guards flinched as they walked by, but knew better than to question Shino. It was a long spiral staircase to the top floor, but it seemed no time at all to Shino. There was never enough time to think. He approached one of the smaller doors near the staircase and knocked loudly.

"Temari-san, please wake up. We have a problem."

There came no answer. Shino was about to knock again when Naruto actually kicked the door, the resulting boom echoing through the hollow building. "TEMARI!" he shouted, just to make sure she didn't sleep through Shino's mild voice. A door opened in response, but it wasn't the one they were facing. It was the massive doorway twenty meters down, the Kazekage's room. Temari stepped out, wrapped in a blanket with her long hair completely disheveled.

"What is it, Shino?" she asked, more than a little annoyance in her voice.

"Hatake Kakashi attacked Naruto-san at your ANBU outpost. Being so far within your county's borders, we must assume that Konoha ANBU could not have followed him. The very nature of your landscape is unique in making tracking by scent impossible. I am forced to assume that there is a spy within your ANBU ranks, working for Sasuke." Shino pushed up his sunglasses, worn despite the dimness of the building's torchlight.

Temari narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. "Go get Rock-san and Tenten, then bring them here. I have preparations to make." She pushed her way through the three visitors into her own room, then shut and locked the door. Clearly, she was not in the mood for rebuttal.

Shino proceeded to do as he was instructed, closely shadowed by Naruto. Hinata, however, felt that something was wrong. She could sense chakra in the other room where Temari had, apparently, been sleeping, and it was not the chakra of a calm, healthy person. Cautiously, she walked to where the heavy door was closing by its own weight and peered shyly into the room. It was dark, but what Hinata saw was unmistakable. Kiba, exhausted, sat panting on the edge of a bed, his head hung lower than she had ever seen it and an empty sake bottle sagging in his hand. His other hand covered his eyes in shame.

Hinata held back tears as the bedroom door clicked shut. Then she let them out.

* * *

Sasuke glared at Kakashi. Kakashi glared back. Neji watched the jounin's eyes intently as his master spoke.

"You let him go," Sasuke said finally.

"No," Kakashi corrected, "he got away. I told you, it became quite clear that I was too out of practice to win the fight. I even used the Vine Snare technique, in the desert no less, and he got out of it without a second thought. If I hadn't sealed the Nine-Tails from the beginning, I doubt I would've gotten away."

Sasuke nodded and looked at Neji. Neji kept his gaze fixated on Kakashi's eyes. "He's telling the truth," he muttered.

Sasuke sighed. This mission may have been a total failure. "What sort of techniques did Naruto use?"

"That's the odd thing," Kakashi recalled. "He didn't use a single Shadow Clone or even attempt the Rasengan. He's learned the Fourth's teleportation technique, Body Flicker. He gets in close and attacks with strange sound-based explosions, triggered by snapping his fingers or cracking his knuckles. It would seem that their strength correlates to their volume."

"Is that all?"

"No. He got out of the Vine Snare with a technique that made him expand like a frog. It was typical of the sort of thing Jiraiya-sama would do, but if Naruto is using it then he's changed his style." Kakashi thought on this fondly. Jiraiya was a better teacher than he was.

"No, he hasn't. He's using brute force, as always. He's just as…"

"This wasn't a combat technique, Sasuke, and I doubt it could work against chains or prison cells. It certainly wasn't as advanced as the Akimichi expansion techniques. This was an application technique, designed for strange, desperate circumstances. When he was my student, all he cared about was destructive power. The old Naruto would have insisted the technique was useless and not learned it. It's hard to believe, but I think he's maturing."

"I see," Sasuke mulled. The Naruto's rate of growth seemed proportionate to his own rate of decay. Without the Sharingan, he'd likely never stand a chance against Naruto. "Sensei, this is unacceptable. Are you certain the Nine-Tails was sealed? Perhaps you didn't perform the seal properly."

"You know I did. You showed me the technique yourself, and my Sharingan hasn't failed me in years."

Sasuke did the math in his head. Even with his new political allies, his troops needed bolstering. The Hyuuga were unstoppable as a united force, under Neji's leadership, but he couldn't risk sending them outside of the city. Routine missions and city patrol occupied his loyal jounin, and the others unreliable and likely to abandon or, worse, rebel against him at their first chance. The rebels were constantly adding names to the casualty list of the ANBU squads. There were few chuunin left, most of them promoted to ANBU status to justify sending them on patrol to replenish lost troops. What few genin survived the revolt and food shortages would be of no value in combat.

What Sasuke needed were specialized shinobi, those that could match Kakashi in strength and did not belong to any village. A rare smile crept onto Sasuke's face as a familiar old name wormed into his mind. Such shinobi did, in fact, exist, seemingly custom-tailored to this specific purpose and, indeed, this specific enemy.

"Sensei, go with Anko and train until you remember how to fight properly. I have recruits to gather."

* * *

Shino returned to the quarters of the Kazekage with Lee and Tenten. Naruto hadn't gone to fetch them, choosing to stay behind to comfort Hinata, who had run down the stairs to him in a crying fit. The others simply followed the sound of her wailing, which wasnot at all consoled or dimmed by Naruto's attentive presence.

After several long minutes, Hinata finally calmed. She didn't really stop crying, but was able to control her breathing and was nearly as quiet as was typical. It was about this time that Temari, fully clothed, walked gracefully down the staircase into the main room, a look of quiet smugness about her. Hinata turned away, not willing to look at her. Whore.

"It has become obvious to me that the Resistance has effectively failed in its mission to retake Konohagakure from Sasuke."

Shino raised an eyebrow. Temari continued.

"Sasuke will only send Kakashi, and whatever other puppets he conjures, so long as you seek to overthrow him. Give up the crusade, become citizens of the Sand, and we will protect you from any further attacks until Sasuke no longer feels threatened. Let him rot away in his tower."

"NO!" Kiba's familiar voice shouted from the staircase. He jogged down the stairs, pulling his fur coat on with no shirt beneath it. "My clan is imprisoned beneath the city! There are ninety of them, and they're all counting on me! We can't just give up because it gets dangerous!"

"Gai-sensei must be avenged!" Lee added, not at all caring that his motives were thoroughly selfish compared to Kiba's.

"THEN WHAT THE HELL ARE WE DOING IN THE SAND!" Naruto shouted, furious at his companions' lack of initiative. "We should be storming Konoha, not hiding away and picking on patrolmen!"

"That's enough," Shino said, far more levelheaded than most would have expected. "Temari-san, your offer is kind but we are morally bound to decline. Kiba, do not act on behalf of your family. It is likely that few of them remain alive, and those who have lived this far will be those powerful enough to live through anything. Lee, your revenge can wait as well. You both must remember that haste will only bring further, unnecessary casualties. As for you, Naruto-san, I would remind you that there are exactly six of us, and an estimated three hundred fifty shinobi inside Konoha that are willing to support Sasuke. Attacking now would be foolish and wasteful."

"TO HELL WITH YOU!" All present looked to Naruto in surprise. This was extreme, even for him. "You think you're so great, calmly telling everyone how to live their lives. Who the hell are you? If we can get into Hokage Tower and just get at Sasuke, we can end this all in an instant! I could do it myself!"

"No, you could not. More than three dozen Hyuuga guards are stationed in or near Hokage Tower. Shikamaru designed a flaw in their shift changes and observation points, but it would take several men to take advantage of it. We have a plan, Naruto-san, if you'll only be patient…"

"No! Having a theory and an objective isn't enough, you've gotta act! You're afraid to confront Sasuke, so you're just killing off Konoha slowly until he finally gives in. That isn't right! You're hurting everyone _but_ him! I could make it to the top of Hokage Tower, if I had some backup, and I could kill Sasuke in an instant!"

"No, you could…"

"SHADDUP! I won't run or hide anymore! I'll attack Konoha one week from now! Even if I have to do it alone, even if I'm bound to fail, I'm going to let Sasuke know I'm not afraid of him."

"And if you are killed?"

"Then I'll have died an honorable death rather than keeled over from old age and boredom."

Nobody said anything for a while. Naruto returned furious glares from Shino and Kiba. At long last, Lee broke the silence.

"Naruto-san…I'll go with you."

Tenten backed away from Lee, a look of disbelief on her face. "What? No! He…Shino…" Tenten just shook her head slowly, her mouth agape. Lee could not look at her.

"Tenten, I have to do this. Gai-sensei has been dead for almost five years, and his murderer walks free. My youth is leaving me, Tenten, I can feel it. I must avenge Gai-sensei while I am still able. I've wanted to face Neji for years. If Naruto-san needs backup, then I'll go, so long as I can face Neji. What he does with Sasuke is his own business."

"Lee, I will not be going with Naruto-san," Shino clarified, wanting to make sure Lee made an, if not intelligent, informed decision.

"Neither will I," Kiba added. He felt he had lost ground in the area of loyalty, and even if Naruto's plan wasn't suicidal he would work to gain that ground back.

"Lee, it'll just be the two of you," Tenten pleaded. "You can't do it. You're strong, stronger than anyone else I know. _That_ is Gai-sensei's legacy, not his own life and not whatever revenge you have planned for Neji. Please…"

"Tenten, I'm going," Lee cut in sharply. That was it, and everyone knew it. Lee had made a promise long ago, to the very man who taught him about the honor of promises. He had joined Shino more to fulfill this promise than to actually bring Sasuke to justice for the hundreds of Leaf citizens slain by his regime. He had not planned on simply haunting the fields of Fire Country, his own group eventually rivaling Sasuke as the leading killer of Leaf shinobi.

"Me, too," an angry little voice declared. Naruto stepped to the side and turned around to let the rest of them see Hinata, her hands clasped tightly together in front of her and still shaking violently. Her eyes were red and swollen, her lips quivered as though she could cry at any time, and she stared at Kiba with more hatred than she had summoned in years.

"No, Hinata-san," Shino protested. "I can let Lee go because I know he can defend himself, but you are far too…"

"Quiet, Shino!"

Even Hinata was shocked at the rage in her voice and the audacity of her actions. Kiba returned her stare, obviously wounded and relatively sure that he deserved it.

"I followed you for years because I thought you needed me." Few present actually grasped that she was no longer speaking to Shino. Kiba was one of them. "Well, you don't need me and I sure as hell don't need you. I'm safe with Naruto-kun. When I'm with you, the whole world is darkness and danger. I'm safe now…stop trying to…" Hinata sobbed a bit, then gathered her courage and stood up again. She radiated defiance through her red eyes and wet cheeks. She walked angrily forward, up the first few steps to where Kiba was standing. She slapped him, her eyes never leaving his face. "I hate you," she lied through gritted teeth.

* * *

"Sasuke-sama!" Neji's voice called urgently from the door to the Hokage's office. He knew better than to walk in uninvited, but the news he brought was pressing. He knocked for the second time, stopping when he heard slow, calm footsteps from within approaching. He straightened his shoulders and stood at attention.

"What is it, Neji?" Sasuke asked, the door only open a crack. He stood in a sort of relaxed slump, his eyes half open and his robe simply held closed with his free hand. Neji could see the light of candles within, but didn't have time to consider what might be happening.

"Sir, Shikamaru has fled the village. My search parties have scanned the entire city and surrounding area. He's certainly abandoned us, sir."

Sasuke straightened up. "Are you sure he's not gone on business? Last year this same thing happened, and he came back a few hours later with some new samples for Ino to study."

"Ino-sama says she knows nothing of his whereabouts. I'm sorry, but I could not find Sakura for questioning. Nobody saw her leave the building…"

"Sakura, did you ask Shikamaru to go get anything for you?" Sasuke called back into the room.

"No, Sasuke-sama," Sakura answered weakly. Neji resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow.

"Well, there you go. Shikamaru's gone. Have you sent out ANBU to retrieve him?"

"No, Sasuke-sama. That's why I came to you. Do you think it'll do any good to send ANBU out to get Shikamaru?" Neji's eyes lowered a bit as he spoke.

"What? I thought you usually made that call. I've never been bothered to dispatch ANBU before."

"Neither have I, sir. Shikamaru usually did that."

Sasuke's face took on a look of annoyance. It was just like Shikamaru to make his defection troublesome.

* * *

Kiba wasn't depressed. He hadn't just convinced himself that he wasn't, he honestly wasn't. He was angry and disappointed and afraid, all for himself. He had always been morally unsteady, finding wrath and gluttony and drunkenness a quaint way of life, but his protective nature had always overridden whatever destructive desires he would have. First he had Akamaru to protect, then Hinata. When neither of them were around he got to see his true self, and he didn't like it one bit. His true self had slept with Temari the first chance it was given.

Temari watched him pack from the doorway to Gaara's bedroom. There wasn't much to packing when you're a shinobi, especially if you specialized in wilderness survival. A few token weapons, a change of clothes, a few blank maps. Still, she watched, with a loving sort of satisfaction.

"Do you have to keep looking at me like that?" Kiba finally growled.

"I don't have to, no. There are a lot of things I could be doing right now. Any requests?" Temari stepped into the room, letting the door slowly close.

"Bother somebody else," Kiba offered, walking to the other side of the room and looking out from the balcony. Temari followed him, pretending not to notice that her proximity was unwelcome.

"KIBA!" A voice sounded from the bedroom door, vaguely familiar but consciously alien. After a moment or two of drifting, the scent of its owner washed into the room, and Kiba's eyes shot wide open.

"SHIKAMARU!"

Problems forgotten, Kiba turned and leapt over the ornately large bed to embrace his friend. Shikamaru didn't quite expect this and was rather unprepared, but acted like he was okay with it.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be pouring Sasuke's coffee or something?" Kiba joked, releasing the startled Nara.

"Yeah, probably, but Chouji's taking over for me in Hokage Tower. With Kakashi back on active duty, I don't think my efforts would go unnoticed any longer. No more inept ANBU attacks, no more convoy raids, no more secret messages. I have to do some real field work for once."

"Does Shino know you're here?"

"Yeah, he and I already spoke. I'll be going with you three to the Mist."

"Mist?" Temari echoed, a little confused. "You…aren't going back to Fire Country?"

"Hell no!" Kiba piped in. "Shino says we need to lobby the Mist for support. They might have some troops to lend now that we don't have Lee and Hinata."

"…and Naruto," Temari offered.

"Who?"

A brief, awkward silence followed. Kiba looked blankly at both Temari and Shikamaru, as if daring them to repeat the name.

"Well, we're all ready to go, Kiba, so head downstairs soon as you're done chatting up your girlfriend." Shikamaru shot a malicious smile at Temari before turning for the door. "Oh, and Kiba?"

"Yeah?"

"Loose lips sink ships."

Kiba blinked in slight disorientation. He looked around, but only saw Temari looking at the door with distaste. What did Shikamaru have against her? She was hazardous and possessive, certainly, but she obviously wasn't their enemy.

"Stubborn jackass," Temari muttered, grabbing Kiba's pack and throwing it at him. "Go on, your friends want to leave. I'll be here when you return. Don't keep me waiting."

Kiba resisted the urge to laugh. She didn't even realize what a mistake she had been.

* * *

Sasuke had left his office door open, a rare sign of confidence on the Hokage's part. Neji stepped inside cautiously, spotting his leader staring out of his window. A smile, even rarer than an office door unclosed, had crept onto Sasuke's lips. From the back room, Sasuke's quarters, came a soft sound like crying that Neji chose to ignore.

"Sasuke-sama?" he prompted. Sasuke looked back from the window and took a few steps toward the door.

"Shh. Keep quiet, Neji. What is it?"

"Two of your guests have arrived, sir. They were headed for the Water Country when we picked them up."

"Did they resist?"

"No, sir. When they heard you were leading Konohagakure, they were enthusiastic about coming to see you. They appear to hold no grudge, but we've kept them under close guard the entire time."

"Very good, my friend. Take me to them."

Neji's eyes opened slightly wider at this display of kindness from Sasuke, his quick mind doing gymnastics trying to decipher this apparent good mood. Sasuke followed Neji down the long, wide spiral staircase to the ground floor of Hokage Tower, then across the street to the ANBU head office. There, on their knees, were two men in black cloaks. They were not forced to bow, but knew better than to show anything but the utmost respect for Sasuke. They had seen him in action before, and feared him desperately.

"Rise," Sasuke commanded. Even this order seemed to be light of tone, a fact lost on neither the ANBU that filled the hall nor the two visitors.

"Sasuke-sama, it is an honor to see you again." The taller of the two spoke, though his thick accent and strange voice made his words seem to gargle in his mouth. "I hope you feel no ill will toward us with regards to our last encounter. Please understand that we only fought you for our own preservation."

"Of course, Kisame-san. It was only natural, and it seems to have turned in my favor. I'm glad that my men have found you so quickly." He turned to the shorter of the two men and raised an eyebrow. After a moment of halfhearted study, Sasuke stuck out his hand. "I don't believe we've met."

"I'm sorry, I don't shake hands…yeah…" the short man said with a shrug.

"Oh, please excuse Deidara," Kisame said quickly. "He'd like to shake your hand, I'm sure, but he has certain…oddities…that would make the experience less than pleasant for both of you."

Sasuke blinked, then smiled. "I see. Well, Kisame-san, I had you brought here because I have two favors to ask of you."

"I'm honored," Kisame responded with his typical toothy grin.

"First of all, I'd like to know where the other five members of Akatsuki can be found."

"Five?" Deidara echoed, looking confused. He turned to Kisame, who shrugged. "There are seven others, yeah. Akatsuki has nine members. Always has."

Sasuke narrowed one eye in suspicion. "But…you _had_ nine, then Orochimaru-sensei quit, I killed Itachi and the two of you are here. That leaves five."

Kisame chuckled. "You know half the story, then. We aren't stagnant in our membership. We let others join when our numbers permit. We've lost several members since our founding and all of them have been carefully replaced. Itachi was a difficult loss, since he was our senior member until you exacted justice upon him, but we've found a suitable substitute nonetheless. Our number is nine, as it has always been."

Sasuke nodded in approval. "Excellent. Well, I'll expect you to tell me how to contact them, and I'd like you to join my forces as shinobi of the Leaf."

Deidara and Kisame looked at each other uneasily. "That could be a problem, Sasuke-sama," Kisame finally sighed. "Akatsuki exists with a specific purpose. If we are not…"

"I'm currently trying to capture the man who holds within him the Nine-Tails. We expect that Gaara will be joining him soon."

Deidara's eyes lit up. Kisame stopped talking and smiled wider. "Where do we sign up, Boss?"

* * *

Camp was exceedingly quiet as soon as night fell. Naruto sat and stared at the fire, trying to remember anything about Konoha's design that might provide him some method of entry other than walking in the front door. It had been eight years since he had last been there, so alternatives seemed vague in his mind. Reluctantly, he posed the question to his comrades.

"How should we get into the city?" he asked solemnly. "If we go through the gates, we'll be killed right off. Is there another way in?"

"There was, but not anymore," Lee responded. "There was a secret exit that led into the mountain, then down into the streets. It was useful because it opened right in the forest, where nobody could see further than ten meters ahead of them. Sasuke clear-cut the forest for ten kilometers around the city as soon as he took over so he could see enemy forces advancing. There's no way to approach without being spotted."

"Shino said something about a flaw in the guard system. What was that?"

"Shikamaru designed a subtle flaw in the observation range of the guards. He left one blind spot that would appear once a month at a specific spot for about half an hour. It won't come around for about three weeks and, even then, I don't know exactly where it is. Do you, Hinata?"

Hinata didn't speak, but shook her head. The men noticed for the first time that she was staring into the fire, teary-eyed, but said nothing about it.

"If we can't burst in without dying, and we can't sneak in, then we'll need a distraction. Unfortunately, there are only three of us, and you two are only trained for hand-to-hand combat. I suppose I'll have to be the distraction, then. If I get you into the village, Lee, do you think you can take out Sasuke?"

"No," Lee said, completely earnest. "I've thought about this a lot. Neji will come out to face me, and whether I defeat him or not I will be unable to continue to fight. Somebody else will have to kill Sasuke."

"What about you, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata looked up for the first time since the fire had been lit. "Me?" she asked, unbelieving.

"Yeah. Could you get him?"

"That's a bad idea, Naruto-san," Lee interjected. "As a Hyuuga, Hinata-san has a very wide range of vision. Avoiding eye contact with Sasuke will be impossible, even if she managed to get to the top of Hokage Tower. That's why we had Kiba."

"Right, right," Naruto groaned, rubbing his head. He didn't like hearing that name. "Well, then Hinata will back me up, and I'll get to Sasuke myself. I'll have to rely on Shadow Clones to get that far, but I've beaten more difficult opponents. As long as…oh, shit…"

"What?"

"When I fought Kakashi-sensei…" A long silence. Naruto placed his hand on his stomach.

"Naruto-san, what is it?" Lee looked around, as if some present threat had been detected.

"Kakashi-sensei used the Five-Element seal on the Nine-Tails. I don't have my usual power reserves. All I have is my own chakra, and then that's it."

Lee looked at Naruto and raised a thick, black eyebrow. "Nine-Tails?"

Naruto let out his breath and plastered on a smile. "It's nothing. Don't worry. I haven't even used it in a year or so. I doubt it'll be necessary as long as I have you two as backup." Naruto's nervous laugh fooled no-one, but Lee knew better than to press with doubtful questions. He doubted he had the confidence he would eventually need, but knew better than to shatter that of his comrades.

"Naruto-san," he said finally. "How did you and Hinata-san know where to find Shino the night Kakashi attacked you?"

Naruto chuckled sincerely. "We didn't. I just started checking the big, expensive-looking buildings until I found him. I woke up two rich families and a barracks before we figured out where he was."

* * *

"Come on, Anko, this is an academy exercise," Kakashi insisted, feeling a right fool in his own home. His arm was bent, his elbow resting on a table. Anko was in the same position, sitting opposite him and clasping his hand in hers.

"You have to get the basics back if you want to move on to the more complex stuff. I promise we'll advance quickly, but you have to start at the bottom and work your way up." Anko reveled in holding Kakashi's hand for hours on end but said nothing of it. That he was, for once, neither angry nor bordering on schizophrenia was a treat as well. "Ready?" she patronized.

"Ready," he groaned.

"Go!" In an instant, the tabletop cracked. The force of their two chakras, colliding in their hands as they arm-wrestled, was an immense weight on the nearby objects. A blue light began to swirl around their clenched knuckles as Kakashi slowly overtook his instructor, finally pinning her wrist. They relaxed, and Anko shook out her arm.

"There. Now can we do some real training?"

"Not at all! You have far more chakra than I do, Kakashi-kun, but you took at least twenty seconds to pin me! That's a disgrace! We'll try again. We're not moving on until you make it in three seconds. No arguments."

"This is ridiculous," Kakashi insisted. He pushed the table away in anger, stood, and moved to leave the room.

"You wouldn't want me to tell Sasuke-sama that you gave up on your training, would you?" Anko called in a singsong voice. Kakashi froze, then turned and fell back into his chair with a sigh.

"You'll be the death of me, woman." He put his arm back onto the table.

"I'll bet you say that to all the girls." Anko grabbed his hand.

"No, Anko, I can honestly say that you are the only woman I have ever said that to."

* * *

Slowly, the sand from the Country of Wind faded, and the green plains of the northern border of Fire Country opened before the remnants of Shino's rebellion. When the Sand's ANBU had faded from view, Kiba moved to walk within speaking distance of Shikamaru.

"Hey," he said quietly. "What's wrong with talking in front of Temari?"

Shikamaru sighed. Shino really was the brains of the outfit. "Kiba, think about it. How would Kakashi know where to find us?"

"He…um…well, he must have been tipped off."

"Good. Now, who could have tipped him off?"

"ANBU?"

"Yes, but think about it. Sunagakure keeps its ANBU tightly regulated. It's very militaristic compared to Konoha. If the ANBU were to betray us, somebody would have had to give the order."

"Yeah, but why would that person be Temari? There are a dozen people that give orders to Suna's ANBU squads."

"True, but we have been searching for you guys in earnest for years now. You've been to Sunagakure a hundred times. Why would they supply that information now, suddenly? What's changed?"

"We had Naruto," Kiba offered intelligently.

"Yes, but that isn't a change in the command chain of Sunagakure. We've been looking for you guys, remember? Naruto is just icing on the cake."

"Well, Gaara and Kankurou are gone, too."

"There you go." Shikamaru looked strait ahead, as though the conversation were finished. When Kiba didn't go away, he simplified the logic further. "Gaara and Kankurou were the only things keeping the informant from ratting you out. Temari was in charge when the informant revealed your location to Sasuke, and so she either allowed the betrayal or, perhaps, ordered it herself."

"That would mean that Sasuke knows about Naruto, Lee, and Hinata leaving our rebellion, and that you've defected to our side, and that the four of us are going to Mist for help."

"Right."

"…Then, didn't we just give away our hand?"

Shikamaru smiled. "This is what we call counter-espionage, Kiba."

Kiba shivered. "Then, I slept with a woman who was planning to stab me in the back?"

"Yes, but that's unavoidable for any man." Shikamaru stopped for a moment and looked back at Kiba. "Wait, Temari slept with you? I mean, really?"

Kiba wrinkled his forehead, looking slightly offended. "Yeah, why?"

"No reason," Shikamaru lied. "That's just an odd move for her to make."

Kiba cocked an eyebrow at Shikamaru. "Excuse me?"

"Politically, I mean."

* * *

End Chapter Six

* * *

I'll post Chapter Seven once I decide that this chapter has been out long enough to be read by all those wishing to keep up with the plot. Don't forget to review, as I'm still taking suggestions for the next chapter as well as those to come. Thank you for your time.


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